Conditions will change for the clearer and cooler tonight into Saturday.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: A cold front will crawl across the region today. With it, skies will be partly sunny to mostly cloudy with only an isolated shower possible. Since the front has slowed by a few hours, temperatures will still be able to make it into the mid 80s. Into the evening, winds will turn northerly and temperatures should drop off pretty quickly after dusk. As skies clear out, overnight lows will dip back into the 50s with northerly winds of 5-10mph.  

Up Next: Brilliant fall weather is expected for the weekend with mainly clear skies, highs in the mid to upper 70s and lows in the low 50s. LSU and Southern football fans—a jacket or long sleeves may come in handy for early tailgating and the evening hours in the stadiums. Clouds are expected to increase on Sunday Night, with the potential for showers on Monday, Election Day and possibly beyond. A pattern shift may be in the works. High temperatures will stay close to average in the mid 70s with lows running a little warmer than normal near 60 degrees.  

The Tropics: The tropics are quiet and no development is expected this week.

THE SCIENCE:

Forecast Discussion:  A shortwave trough is digging southeastward into the United States with an associated cold front stretching from the Mid-Atlantic through the Central Gulf Coast and into Texas. This cold front has become sluggish upon entering the region and will mosey through Southeast Louisiana very slowly today. Along the boundary, an isolated shower could briefly flare up but very limited mid and upper level moisture will make any kind of organization difficult. Soon after dusk, the front will slip into the gulf of Mexico allowing northerly winds to usher cooler and drier air into the region. High pressure will set up in the Upper Mississippi River Valley and continue northeasterly winds, clear skies and seasonably cool fall temperatures through the weekend. By Monday, the high will jut eastward and an trough axis will develop from the Southeast United States to South Texas. Meanwhile, an upper level low pressure will cut off over Texas, south of the mean jet. This will allow more moisture into the atmosphere and thus cloud cover and the chance for rain will increase Monday and especially Tuesday of next week. Forecast models have been wavering on timing and coverage, but for now, this seems like our first decent shot in some time at putting a dent in the drought.   

--Josh