HEAT, HUMIDITY, TROPICAL RAINS

We're getting a bit of a break from the high heat and humidity this weekend. However, once the week begins we're going to have a lot of warmth and moisture to deal with. And part of it has to do with Tropical Storm Cristobal, as we've been talking about the last few days.

Let's start with Sunday -- it's going to be another dry and warm day with mostly sunny skies--

Humidity will be a bit higher than Saturday, but not bad. And you can see the heat building from the southwest where temperatures will be sitting in the 90s and that will arrive Monday.

In the upper levels there will be a strong ridge in place over the Midwest. Over Arkansas you can see a blue circle which is Tropical Storm Cristobal coming up to the north.

Right now (as of Saturday night) the storm is in the Gulf of Mexico but a lot of the thunderstorm activity is displaced well to the east over Florida.

The storm is expected to make landfall in Louisiana and then continue to get pulled northward. Here's the forecast from the National Hurricane Center and what you're going to see is the cone of uncertainty. The *center* of the storm can go to any point in that cone so this doesn't mean it's going to take the center path -- just keep that in mind.

The storm may weaken beyond a depression by the time it gets to around Iowa/Illinois but it will still bring lots of tropical moisture, wind, and rain. Here's a look at the European showing it's position on Tuesday --

The exact path of the storm may still shift some but wherever it goes the high moisture levels will follow. The European is also showing moisture levels 200% or so above normal on Tuesday

That will lead to two to four inches of rain wherever the heavy rain does set up, which could lead to rises on rivers and streams. We'll keep you updated on the exact placement of the heavy rain but right now looks to be over eastern Iowa.

RK