BATON ROUGE - Carnival season has arrived in Baton Rouge and parade goers are in for a lovely surprise as almost springlike conditions will move into the Capital Area for the duration of the weekend.

Cloudless skies and cool, but comfortable, temperatures are on tap for Friday night as the Krewe of Artemis bringing its 14th annual parade to the streets of Downtown Baton Rouge.

PARADE ROUTE:

The parade portion of carnival season officially kicks off at 7 p.m. as the all-female krewe leaves the Baton Rouge River Center Arena. The parade will travel north on River Road to State Capital Drive then turn on 3rd Street. The floats then pass by the State Capitol Park, down 4th Street to Main Street then looping back down Laurel Street and Convention Street before finishing up on River Road.

See the interactive Google Map below for the complete parade route:

WEATHER

The weather will continue to cooperate with carnival season festivities into the late night hours of Friday and early Saturday morning with a bit of briskness creeping in.

It will be a sunny and mild Friday afternoon with high temperatures expected to be in the upper 60s. The Krewe of Artemis and folks that line the streets can expect clear skies and temperatures near 60 degrees when they start to roll.

If you are planning to catch the end of the parade, you might want to bring a jacket. The overnight low is expected to drop into the mid-40s as the evening wears on.

WHO IS THE KREWE OF ARTEMIS?

The all-female krewe was founded in 2001 and made its parade debut in 2003.

The Krewe of Artemis is involved with many community charities, including the American Cancer Society, Baton Rouge Food Bank, Juvenile Diabetes Association, Race for the Cure and Dreams Come True.

Taking a queue from the famous New Orleans all-female Krewe of Muses, the crown jewel of Krewe of Artemis parade loot are the signature high-heeled shoes the mysterious ladies toss out as they follow their route. If you don't manage to catch a high heel though, the krewe will have plenty of other traditional and non-traditional Mardi Gras throws in tow for those who choose to shout "throw me something, ma'am."  

THE REST OF THE WEEKEND

After Artemis gets Baton Rouge Carnival off to a running start, there's a pair of parades on Saturday. The Krewe of Mystique rolls at 2 p.m., and the Krewe of Orion rolls at 7 p.m. Route maps and more info are available on the krewes' websites. You can also get the full BR Mardi Gras schedule over at WBRZ.com's Mardi Gras 2016 page. Sunday afternoon will go to the dogs (and cats) as it features the much-beloved Krewe of Mutts, set to roll at 2 p.m. As far as the forecast goes, Saturday and Sunday will be warmer than Friday with high temps venturing toward the mid-70s to really make for an enjoyable atmosphere, especially if you're bringing along the kids. We'll have more details about each parade on the days they roll right here on WBRZ.com and in our weekend broadcasts anchored by News 2's Natalia Verdina.