Tracking searing heat and a few storms Friday

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy with a spot storm or two towards dawn. Lows in the upper 60s to around 70.

TOMORROW: Partly sunny and hot with highs in the low 90s. Heat index between 97-100. Scattered strong storms possible by afternoon with isolated gusty winds and heavy rain.

EXTENDED: A cold front will make its way south through Mid-Missouri on Friday, giving us a chance for scattered storms by late afternoon. High pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere begins to build over the weekend, eliminating rain chances for much of the area. However, a back door front to our west may trigger a few rogue showers or storms on Saturday for areas west of Highway 65. Temperatures will be in the upper 80s to around 90 for both Saturday and Sunday, with heat indices in the low to mid-90s. We start off next week hot on Monday, but we'll be closely monitoring the track of developing Tropical Depression Cristobal which is expected to strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico this weekend and track up the Mississippi River Valley early next week. This would increase our rain chances for Tuesday and Wednesday, and bring temperatures back down into the lower 80s.