High temperatures are forecasted to slack off by midweek next week, but not enough for significant relief, reports the National Weather Service.

“It’s going to be hot next week,” said Meteorologist Kevin Laws.

The forecast for Chilton County includes heat indexes ranging from 104 tomorrow to 101 Tuesday. These translate to high temperatures ranging from 95 tomorrow to about 93 Tuesday.

“High pressure controls heat waves in the state,” Laws explained. “It sets up along the Mississippi River and kind of slides east.”

As a high-pressure system moves across north Alabama, clockwise winds are expected to bring an Atlantic air mass to the region by midweek.

By Thursday, the heat index should cool off to about 96, while highs may dip to about 91.

The numbers may look better, but the muggy weather will still make things uncomfortable, Laws said.

“It’s not going to feel quite as nasty. It’s going to be lower- to mid-90s instead of mid- to upper- 90s,” he said.

Chances of rain are 20 percent for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Any rainfall will likely be scattered.

The Chilton Research and Extension Center reported 36.28 inches of rainfall this year to date, compared to 18.73 inches this time last year and 31.53 in 2006.

Although the county is ahead of last year, the county is still in a drought situation. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday, over half of the county is still listed in a D2 severe drought.

Almost all of the state is still experiencing some kind of drought with 42 percent seeing a severe drought, up from about 35 percent last week.