Tracking Thursday rain chances & summer heat

Good morning and happy Thursday.

We're starting the day with a few areas of patchy fog, especially near rivers and low-lying areas. Otherwise, visibility remains fairly good, and most locations are seeing a mild start with temperatures in the low 70s.

Skies will begin mostly sunny before clouds gradually increase through the day. Most of the morning and lunchtime hours will stay dry, with temperatures warming into the upper 80s to low 90s by midday.

After lunchtime, a weak disturbance will bring a slight chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms, mainly south of U.S. Highway 36 and closer to the Interstate 70 corridor. These storms will be very spotty, so many locations will remain dry. However, any storm that develops could produce brief heavy downpours and occasional lightning before dissipating by late evening.

High temperatures today will reach around 91 degrees, with humidity beginning to increase ahead of a much hotter weekend. If you're heading out later today, it may be a good idea to keep both the sunglasses and an umbrella handy.

Looking ahead, dry weather returns Friday and continues through much of the weekend. Temperatures will climb into the middle and upper 90s Saturday and Sunday, with heat index values returning to the triple digits as humidity builds. Be sure to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, and never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle.

A slight cooldown arrives early next week, with highs returning to the upper 80s and low 90s by the middle of the week