Saturday July 24, 2010 07:00 AM

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:10:00 EDT
Temperatures in the center of the U.S. will continue to soar into the upper 90s and heat index values will pass the triple digit mark on Friday. The oppressive heat over the Mississippi Valley and parts of the Midwest will weaken a bit over the weekend. A cold front is developing over the Intermountain West this morning and is expected to make its way into the Central Plains during the day Friday. As this front passes into the Upper Mississippi Valley on Saturday, high temperatures behind the front may drop as much as 15 degrees. The front will stall out over the Texas Panhandle, leaving the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley with dangerously high temperatures. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along and ahead of the front making its way eastward across the center of the country. Heavy rain and thunderstorms will move across The Northern Plains and Mississippi Valley Friday morning, pushing into the Upper Midwest mid-day Friday. - courtesy NOAAWatch.gov