Thursday, July 10 forecast: Hot, humid, and dry before the weekend

We managed to avoid both the rain and 90° on Wednesday. The risk for rain is very low again today, but temperatures will be warmer in the low 90s this afternoon. It'll be a typical mid-July day, with mostly sunny skies this morning and a few clouds in the afternoon, accompanied by a light southwest breeze.

The heat index will also ramp up again. Today will feel like the mid-90s and Friday will feel like the upper 90s to near 100°. While rain is unlikely today and tomorrow, an isolated pop-up rain shower is possible in the afternoon.

Another front will slip into the area by Saturday, stalling over the region through the weekend. This front will boost rain chances and lower daytime temperatures by a few degrees.

Periods of scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely at times through the weekend. Those eyeing a weekend outdoors will need to pay attention to the weather and watch the skies for dark clouds. Gusty winds of 50-60 MPH and heavy rainfall will be possible with storms over the weekend.

The overall pattern won't change much through the middle of next week. Scattered storms will be possible each day, with another cool front dropping into the area by Wednesday. The pattern should keep the heat in check. Wednesday's cold front may be strong enough to clear the area and give us a rare, summer opportunity for lower humidity later next week.

The pattern doesn't look to change much in the weeks ahead. Rain chances should remain pretty regular, and temperatures should stay close to normal.