Wednesday, August 28 forecast: Toasty temperatures tossed after Thursday

It’s been a hot 4-day stretch of temperatures with each day in the mid-90s feeling like near 100°. Expect more of the same Thursday before a cold front ushers in that familiar fall feel for the Labor Day holiday.

A few spotty showers and thunderstorms fired up today in the late afternoon heat. The risk of a spotty downpour has faded with the setting sun and the remainder of the night looks warm and quiet.

We’ll still be in searing summer mode Thursday as we await a cold front that will arrive with rain Friday. Expect another hot and bright day with afternoon highs in the mid-90s. The old “feels like” number will be closer to 100°. The coverage of spotty showers and thunderstorms will likely be even less Thursday than it was Wednesday.

Rain chances will perk up on Friday as a cold front pushes toward the Ozarks. Overnight storms lined up along the cold front will likely push a boundary into the area by Friday morning. Some clouds and showers are certainly possible with the boundary, but the real impact will likely be felt later in the day. The boundary will serve as a focus for scattered afternoon and evening storms. This isn’t a severe weather setup, but lightning and gusty winds can be expected along with soaking downpours. Most areas will see less than half an inch, but a few spots could see 1 or 2″ of rainfall that could lead to some street flooding.

The risk for rain and thunder will spill over into the evening hours, gradually fading by late evening. If you’re heading out to a football game Friday evening, just be prepared for some rain, at least early in the evening. Temperatures won’t be bad, but it will remain humid.

This will cool things down for the weekend pushing high temperatures down into the low to mid-80s. Rain will linger in the forecast near and south of I-44 Saturday. It looks like drier air will slowly filter into the area, shifting the focus for wet weather into Northern Arkansas by Saturday evening.

The second cold front arrives on Sunday and will shove any lingering rain south of the state line. Labor Day will be mild and feeling dry with a mix of sun and clouds. Back-to-work weather may come with cloudier skies and a risk for showers, but temperatures will remain mild. There’s no sign of a repeat of our current heatwave as we push deeper into September.

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