Tracking near record heat through Thursday

TONIGHT: Mostly clear and breezy with lows in the upper 60s to around 70. Wind gusts up to 25 mph.

TOMORROW: Mostly sunny and hot. Highs in the low 90s with a heat index near 100 degrees.

EXTENDED: We'll continue our streak of near record neat through Thursday as forecast highs reach the low 90s. This isn't the earliest 90 we have ever had, but typically we see our first 90 degree day in early June. We'll be in an atmospheric blocking pattern, keeping stubborn high pressure overhead until low pressure is strong enough to break down the ridge late in the week. Dew points reach the upper 60s to around 70, so the combination of heat and humidity will allow heat indices to rise into the upper 90s to around 100 through Wednesday, with mid-upper 90s possible on Thursday. Rain chances through Thursday are looking slim outside of an afternoon pop-up shower or storm due to all the moisture and instability that will be present. We'll see a better shot and off and on showers and storms Friday through Sunday with a series of disturbances moving through. Total rain through those three days looks to come in less than 0.5" and right now it appears we'll be lacking sufficient wind shear for any severe weather at this point. Temperatures cool down steadily with highs making the lower to mid-80s on Saturday, and with a cold front coming through Saturday night we'll only reach the mid-upper 70s on Sunday. Next week starts off in the mid-upper 70s with a more seasonable pattern setting up.