(RALEIGH) -- Humid air and high temperatures in some parts of the state, today, are ushering in the official start of summer. National Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Locklear says the current mercury level is making the mild spring weather -- that's dominated central North Carolina the past week -- a distant memory.

"We're going to be a little bit warmer than we should be at this time of year. The average high is around 88 degrees, and temperatures will be well in to the low to mid 90's for the next three to four days."

Summer, technically, begins shortly after 7:00 PM, Wednesday evening. And while the thermometer will flirt with triple digits through the weekend, Locklear says some relief is on the way for the state.

"A very weak cold front will come in to the state, late Friday night, and it will slightly cool temperatures to the lower nineties for the weekend. And we're expecting a significant cold front to approach North Carolina next week, on Tuesday, and we'll see temperatures get back down in to the eighties."

Locklear says Tropical storms Chris is well out in the Atlantic and will not create any problems for North Carolina or the rest of the U-S mainland.