49°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Reinforcing front keeps weather nice, rivers stay high

4 years 11 months 4 weeks ago Thursday, March 21 2019 Mar 21, 2019 March 21, 2019 5:36 AM March 21, 2019 in Weather
Source: WBRZ Weather

The first full days of spring will be beautiful with cool mornings, seasonable afternoons and clear skies. Above average temperatures will return for the weekend.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: A weak cold front will slip south Thursday morning but will not cancel warming, rather, keep it gradual with highs returning to the low 70s. Light northeast winds and clear skies will result in another cool night in the mid 40s.     

Up Next:  The week will wrap with ample sunshine and another high temperature in the low to mid 70s. Winds will turn southeasterly over the weekend allowing lows to come back into the 50s and highs to reach the mid and upper 70s. Onshore flow will also mean maximum sunshine will give way to some clouds. A cold front will bring the next decent shot at rain on Monday but it is still too early to hash out any details on this one—including strength of any storms and the subsequent cool air.

With spring beginning, we get the unfriendly, sneezing reminder that pollen season is upon us. You can get an updated allergy report each weekday morning on 2une In and every day from the WBRZ Weather Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Mississippi River: At Baton Rouge, major flood stage continues with a level of 44’ as of Thursday morning. This marks the 7th highest recorded crest and the 5th longest period above flood stage at 74 days. Due to river flooding and drainage north of the area, runoff will keep the river near this crest for the next several days. The high water is primarily an issue for river traffic and river islands, although some inundation will continue for a few spots north and south of Baton Rouge that are not protected by levees. Unprotected low-lying areas will be flooded and agricultural operations will be impacted on the west side of the river. The grounds of the older part of Louisiana State University's campus become soggy. This includes the area around the Veterinary Medicine building, the Veterinary Medicine Annex, the stadium and ball fields. The city of Baton Rouge and the main LSU campus are protected by levees up to 47 feet. Some seepage may be noted due to the long duration of high water placing pressure on the levees. Water from the extensive Missouri River flooding across the Upper Midwest will not reach Baton Rouge until April and the Mississippi River is expected to have fallen some by that time.   

As thirty-percent of the Mississippi River diverts into the Atchafalaya River, gauges at Krotz Springs and Morgan City will stay high as well. Like Big Muddy, this is expected to be a prolonged event but is not uncommon for the time of year. Read more HERE

THE EXPLANATION:

A weak, positively tilted shortwave trough is pushing through the area Thursday morning with an associated decaying cold front. A lack of moisture and declining lift negated shower activity and most clouds as it crosses local area. The main impact from the front will be a reinforcement of northeasterly winds allowing near average temperatures to continue despite abundant afternoon sunshine. A weak ridge axis will center over the region Friday into Saturday allowing readings to penetrate seasonable averages. By the weekend, southeasterly winds will allow a bit more moisture to stream into the low levels of the atmosphere and a few clouds will develop. At this time, the next organized frontal system is pegged to cross the area on Monday and Tuesday by forecast model agreement is poor and therefore so is forecast confidence in timing and strength of this system.

--Josh

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