Tracking heat and humidity, chance of strong storms Wednesday evening

TONIGHT: Mostly clear and muggy with lows in the lower 70s.

TOMORROW: Mostly sunny and hot with highs in the upper 80s. Heat index between 98-100. A few strong storms are possible by early evening across northern Missouri.

EXTENDED: A front to our north will sag a little bit closer, with storms trying to develop across northern Missouri by late afternoon. A few of these will continue to work south, with the potential of bringing isolated damaging winds and hail to areas generally north of I-70 through later Wednesday night. Thursday is the last very warm and hot day for this stretch as highs get into the upper 80s with a heat index between 98-100. We'll have plenty of instability and increasing wind shear as the cold front approaches from the north, triggering a line of scattered storms capable of all hazards before sunset, with mainly damaging winds in the evening as the line moves south. We'll be left with a much more comfortable air mass for Friday as highs reach the lower 80s with dew points in the low 60s. Saturday and Sunday look seasonable as the upper flow pattern flattens out and allows a few disturbances to roll through, triggering  a chance for showers and storms between Sunday and Monday. Next week will be noticeably cooler with temperatures only making the upper 70s.