Tracking a near-record warmup in the coming days

THIS MORNING: Clear and comfortable with lows in the lower 60s.

THIS AFTERNOON: Mostly sunny with increasing clouds. Highs in the upper 80s.

EXTENDED: Highs on Friday remain about 7-9 degrees above average as we flirt with 90 degrees. Clouds increase by Friday evening as a front sets up to our north across southern Iowa, but rain chances will be slim or limited to parts of northern Missouri Friday night into Saturday morning. There could be a few showers on Saturday night into Sunday for the northern half of the area depending on how far south the frontal boundary gets. Otherwise, it's hot this weekend with temperatures near 90 on Saturday. We start to feel the humidity a bit more on Sunday with highs in the low 90s and dew points climbing back into the lower 60s. The heat continues into next week as the jet stream lifts north and high pressure centers right over the Midwest. High temperatures could get near records for parts of Mid-Missouri on Monday. The record high on Monday in Columbia is 94. We don't see much of a pattern change until late next week with a front trying to move in by Thursday or Friday of next week.