Tracking a hot start to the weekend before fall-like air next week

TODAY: Friday is another hot day, with heat indexes as high as 100 to 105 degrees this afternoon along and south of HWY 24. Bright skies are expected, but some clouds in the north at sunrise will drift south towards I-70 before low clouds bubble up this afternoon south of I-70. This will give many a mostly sunny to partly cloudy sky. Some of the afternoon clouds could develop into showers and storms, much like what we've seen the last two days.

TONIGHT: It's toasty for Sportzone Football Friday's game of the week. We expect heat indexes in the 90s at kickoff, with a 4th-quarter temperature and heat index in the low 80s.

EXTENDED: Saturday is another hot and humid day, with heat indexes expected between 100 and 105 degrees. This heat is mostly south of I-70. A cold front is approaching on Saturday evening, bringing a slight moderation of heat with some clouds that drift in overhead before the front's arrival. Storm chances return after midnight in mid-Missouri, so expect dry and warm conditions for Mizzou vs. Troy at Faurot Field. More clouds, a north breeze, and scattered shower and storm chances all point to a cooler day on Sunday, but it will be a gradient of cooler air from south to north. Highs may still be in the 90s in the south, with 70s in the north. This continues into better rain chances on Monday, with highs in the 70s across more of the region. Fall starts on Tuesday with clouds and highs forecast in the low 70s.