Marcus’ 4 a.m. Friday forecast INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Central Indiana will enjoy cooler and less humid conditions Friday following overnight thunderstorms. However, severe weather returns to the forecast late Saturday, mainly impacting southwestern portions of the state. Friday: Aft er thunderstorms moved through during the overnight hours, much more comfortable air is settling in across central Indiana. Northwesterly winds behind a cold front will usher in noticeably cooler and less humid conditions. Expect clearing skies through the morning with plenty of sunshine by Friday afternoon. High temperatures will reach the lower 80s across the Indianapolis metro area—a refreshing change from recent days. Friday night: Surface high pressure builds in overnight, bringing clear skies and calm conditions. Overnight lows will fall into the low- to mid-60s across central Indiana. Saturday: Moisture begins to return on Saturday as winds shift to the south ahead of an approaching upper-level system. The day will start dry with partly cloudy skies. High temperatures will climb back into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees with increasing humidity. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop late in the afternoon and evening, mainly across western and southwestern Indiana. Timing looks to be after 6 p.m. for areas along and west of Interstate 65. Severe weather threat Saturday night: The greatest risk for severe weather will be across southwestern central Indiana, particularly in counties along and south of Interstate 70 from Terre Haute to Bloomington. Initial storms may be capable of producing large hail as they develop. As storms consolidate into a line, damaging wind gusts will become the primary threat. The line of storms is expected to move southeastward through the evening and overnight hours. Northern and eastern portions of central Indiana may see fewer storms due to limited moisture and instability. However, scattered showers and thunderstorms will still be possible. Sunday: Much cooler and more comfortable air returns on Sunday. Surface high pressure moves in, bringing partly to mostly sunny skies. High temperatures will only reach the mid- to upper 70s—well below the seasonal average. It will feel quite pleasant with lower humidity levels. Seven-day forecast: The cooler pattern continues into early next week. Monday and Tuesday will feature highs in the mid- to upper 70s with mostly sunny skies and low humidity. It is a great stretch of weather to enjoy outdoor activities. By midweek, another weather system approaches from the west. This will bring another chance for showers and thunderstorms, likely Wednesday into Thursday. Temperatures will gradually warm back into the 80s. The broader upper-level trough pattern keeps us cooler than normal through much of next week, with below-average temperatures expected to persist into the following weekend. ...read more read less