A TROPICAL PARADISE....?

Okay, maybe it wasn't all paradise but it was definitely feeling tropical in the Midwest Friday. Temperatures were in the 80s and 90s... dew points were well into the 70s and heat index values were near and above 100 degrees. Here's a look at the heat index in my local area in the afternoon -

All the heat and humidity was creating an unstable environment just ready for something to trigger the rain. Well the sky opened up with showers and thunderstorms Friday along a cold front. Strong winds and heavy rain swept through parts of the Midwest.

Here's the storm reports from the Storm Prediction Center -

The storms dropped the temperatures and brought relief from the heat. Here's an example from Cedar Rapids.

The temperature dropped 16 degrees and the heat index dropped 28 degrees from 105 to 77! There will be some additional showers and thunderstorms into Saturday night. Here's a look at the High Resolution Rapid Refresh model.

Humidity is still going to be high this weekend so some heavy rain will be possible with these showers and storms in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

The front will slowly move through the Midwest so it will still be warm and muggy this weekend. Some drier, more comfortable air moves in next week. More on that later.

RK