After tying a record high temperature of 91 degrees on Tuesday, many are looking forward to the most significant “cool down” of the fall season, just in time for a big weekend of football in the Baton Rouge area.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: Wednesday Afternoon will be partly sunny, warm and humid with a high temperature in the upper 80s. Spotty showers may stray inland from the coast; however forecast area rain coverage should not exceed 20 percent. Nighttime temps will stay sticky and around 70 degrees with some patchy fog late.   

Up Next: After some sun and highs in the mid 80s, a cold front will arrive Late Thursday, bringing the best opportunity for showers and thunderstorms in quite some time—though widespread rain is not likely. Some areas may move into a three week stretch without precipitation. Either way, temperatures will be the tale with this front. Highs won’t exceed the mid 70s Friday or Saturday Afternoon and weekend morning lows will flirt with the upper 40s. Clear skies are expected throughout. Did somebody say football weather?  

The Tropics: An unorganized area of showers and thunderstorms north of the Turks and Caicos will find upper levels slowly becoming more favorable for development over the next few days. A tropical or sub-tropical storm is expected to form—which would be named Otto—but the same cold front bringing relief to the local area will push this system out to sea.

THE SCIENCE:

Forecast Discussion:  A ridge of high pressure is sliding east while a surface cold front organizes in the Midwest. Ahead of this feature, moist, southeasterly surface flow will continue providing humidity and low topped showers beneath dry mid and upper levels. With little change to the air mass ahead of the front, high and low temperatures will remain about 10 degrees above average through Thursday Afternoon. As the cold front moves into Louisiana on Thursday, a few showers are possible, though widespread activity is not anticipated due to the aforementioned drier air aloft. The front will sweep through on Thursday Night with cold air advection beginning in earnest and the effects will definitely be felt on Friday with morning temperatures near 60 degrees and afternoon highs doing no better than the mid 70s. The coldest air of the fall season is likely by Saturday Morning with low temperatures in the upper 40s. Clear skies and slightly below normal temperatures are expected through Sunday as an area of high pressure moves from Texas to Georgia, eventually returning easterly winds and moderating temperatures early next week.

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