Today will be the first "warm and humid" day of 2019 as temperatures rise into the middle 80s with dew points rising into the 60s. This could bring about some 90 degree heat index values.
Our only cooling relief today will be in the form of thunderstorms, and those chances will remain quite slim. While an isolated thunderstorm is possible today, there's a better chance after 4pm today as a front slips down to around US-20. These storms could slip into the Quad City area during the evening commute.
A few of these storms could be robust, producing large hail and some gusty winds. In addition, some torrential rainfall is possible...possibly more than 2 inches where there are repeated downpours. For that reason, a level-2 risk of severe weather exists today on our Threat Track 1-5 scale. Hail will be the biggest potential for severe.
Isolated storm activity continues in the forecast for Friday and Saturday with an hour or so of rain each day. There's a better chance of severe weather with a cold front Sunday.
-Meteorologist Eric Sorensen