Good Thursday everyone and welcome to the last day of the heat wave! That is likely to be some very welcomed news to a lot of people as we have had to endure several days of temps in the 90s. We get one more day of it today before we go into a cooler and wetter pattern that will take us through next week.

Today should be very similar temp wise to what we went through Wednesday as readings hit the low and mid 90s in most areas. Humidity levels will come up just a bit leading to more of an uncomfortable factor. The increase in  moisture may also lead to a popup thunderstorm in the late afternoon hours… especially across western Kentucky. You can see those and the stuff to our west moving in for Friday here on regional radar…

A cold front will swoop in here on Friday and will be the famed “heat buster” as it brings much cooler air for the weekend. It will also bring widespread showers and thunderstorms Friday into Friday night. A few strong storms will be possible and locally heavy rains will be likely.

GFS Friday Evening

Some of those showers and storms may hang around into the first part of Saturday… especially in the east. The air behind this front will feel nothing short of amazing when compared to the stuff of this week. Highs will generally run in the normal middle 80s for Saturday and Sunday with partly sunny skies.

The overall pattern for next week is one that should feature plenty of showers and storms and temps near normal with 80s for highs. A few days that feature more clouds and rain could even stay under 80. How about that for a change?     Monday will see clouds increasing with late day showers and storms. Widespread showers and storms look to be in the cards for Tuesday as another cold front pushes into the region. This front may check up a bit meaning the threat for rain hangs around into Wednesday.

Yet another front should make a run at us by the end of next week or the following weekend. Sensing a different pattern taking shape?

For the past week… I talked about the possibility of home grown development from the tropics and sure enough Tropical Depression number 2 formed overnight in the Gulf of Mexico. This is actually VERY close to where Alex was last week. Here is a look at what should become Tropical Storm Bonnie very soon…

[Image of 5-day forecast and coastal areas under a warning or a watch]

So.. if you are a fan of the real deal heat… enjoy today because changes are coming! Have a great Thursday and take care.