A Look at Today's Rain Totals - Brief Drop in Humidity Before Major Heat Arrives!

FEAST OR FAMINE.. A LOOK AT TODAY'S RAIN

No surprise, but a lot of us MISSED OUT on the rain opportunity today. I mean check out the rainfall accumulation map. I picked up between .30-.35" of rain today with a downpour that moved over my house around 2PM. Just a couple miles from my house, not a drop fell.  VERY hit or miss. For Indianapolis, this now marks the 13th straight day with no rain recorded. We look to add several more days to that! 

BRIEF DROP IN HUMIDITY
As a cold front continues to push south of the state later tonight, winds from the north will help to usher drier, slightly more comfortable air into the state for our Friday and Saturday. Highs will still reach well into the 80's, but the drier air will allow overnight lows to be much cooler than the past several nights, so perhaps we can give the A/C a little break, because major heat is about to return! (details below)

HEAT WAVE COMING..HOTTEST OF SUMMER LIKELY!
As a ridge of high pressure to our west begins to expand into the Ohio Valley next week, it will bring very hot stuff our way. Each day next week looks to be 90 or higher, with middle 90's a good bet for the middle to latter half of the week! Some models have us getting as high as 97 degrees by the end of next week!! Any storm chances? Right now, storm chances look small, although the position of the ridge will be key. Right now I think the ridge will be close enough to keep any storm chances to our east, although if the ridge does not expand as far east as current models are showing, that could mean a slightly cooler scenario with more clouds and possible storm development, but I would count on it being hot and dry. The map below is the Climate Prediction Center's 6-10 day temperature outlook. Notice how much of the country is going to see above average temperatures! 

DROUGHT DEVELOPING?
As you know, things have been pretty dry as of late, especially for central Indiana, where we are now considered "abnormally dry" which is basically the beginning stages of a drought. The hot weather next week certainly won't help things out.