WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Short Term:  We are starting this Friday with mostly cloudy skies along with scattered showers.  Most areas will see only a little rain this morning, but that will change by midday.  The temperatures are much warmer than they have been with readings in the mid to upper 50s. 

The showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread as we get into the afternoon.  These storms are ahead and along a strong cold front that will move out of Texas.  A few of the storms may become strong to possibly severe.  However, the threat for severe weather is very small today, but a few storms could contain some gusty winds.  The Storm Prediction Center is watching the storms that are going to be moving across our area, but also agree that the severe weather threat is low.  Click here to read their thoughts. 

Rain is forecast to become heavy at times today with rainfall totals around 1 to 2 inches.  Some minor flooding will be possible, so be sure to watch areas that typically fill up with water.  It will be a warm and humid day before the front gets here with highs in the upper 60s.  Once the front moves through, the temperatures will drop quickly! 

The showers will gradually taper off tonight, so I'll keep scattered showers in until midnight.  Then we will likely have some light drizzle through Saturday morning.  It will become MUCH COLDER with lows in the upper 30s.  We will stay above freezing in Baton Rouge, so no wintry precipitation is expected here.  However, a few areas in southern Mississippi Like Woodville to McComb could see a sleet pellet or two mixed with the drizzle.

Weekend Forecast:  The cold front will be well to the east of Louisiana on Saturday, and the rain will come to an end.  We will have some clouds lingering through the morning hours, but then there will be clearing by the afternoon as an area of high pressure builds in.  It will become significantly colder with high temperatures in the upper 40s.  The skies will be clear on Saturday night, and it will be very cold with lows in the lower 30s.  A light freeze can be expected! 

Sunday will be a gorgeous day with plenty of sunny skies, and it will be a little "warmer" too with highs in the lower 50s as the area of high pressure sits over us.  Sunday night will be clear, cold and frosty with lows near 32. 

Next Week Outlook:  We will have some unsettled weather coming up after Monday.  The area of high pressure will move toward the east, and that will allow for weak southerly winds to come back to the state.  We will start the week with sunny skies, and it will be warmer with highs around 60. 

Things will start to change on Tuesday as a weak area of low pressure and a cold front will move through Louisiana.  This will set off scattered showers, but this rain event looks to be small.  High temperatures will remain in the lower 60s, and lows in the lower 40s.

Wednesday looks to be a dry day with partly cloudy skies and highs in the lower 60s, and lows will be down to the lower 40s again.

Another more impressive cold front is forecast to move through on Thursday and into Friday.  This front will set off more widespread showers and thunderstorms.  It is still too early to pinpoint how strong the storms will be, but the forecast models do show us getting some decent rain from the system.  It will be a cool day with highs in the upper 50s.

The rain will gradually come to an end during the day on Friday, and then we will clear things out for the weekend.  It will still be a little cool with high in the upper 50s, and lows in the 40s.