Weekend to bring highs in the 70s after week of sweltering heat

Thursday will be the last day of temperatures reaching the upper 90s before a cold front moves through, busting the sweltering heat, meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.

Thursday’s high will reach 98 degrees, with the heat index reaching the low 100s.

But Friday’s temperatures are expected to peak at 88 degrees, and Saturday’s temperatures will get only to 73.

“It just seems hard to imagine with 98 yesterday, 98 today to 73 on Saturday,” Gardner said.

Sunday’s high will be 77 degrees.

While the cold front moving through Friday will drop temperatures and humidity levels, it won’t bring the Triangle much-needed rain.

Only half an inch of rain is expected in the next five days in Raleigh, Gardner said.

Scattered storms are possible Monday and Tuesday, but just a small amount of rain is expected to fall.