Clouds and spotty showers remain possible through mid-week. After a chilly Monday, temperatures will climb well above average.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight Stubborn clouds remain with us alongside a few isolated showers. There will not be nearly as much rain as what we experienced over the weekend. It will be much cooler though with highs staying in the low to mid 50s thanks to a brisk north breeze of 10mph. Tonight, thermometers will not fall off as much thanks to continued clouds and shifting winds. Lows will stay in the upper 40s.

BATON ROUGE AREA PARADE SCHEDULE, WEATHER FORECAST:

Monday, 11am – Batchelor: Mostly cloudy, 67°, 10 percent chance of showers

Monday, 7pm – Krewe of Comogo: Cloudy, 69°, 60 percent chance of rain

Tuesday, 11am – Carnival Club of Pointe Coupee: Cloudy, 70°, 50 percent chance of rain

Tuesday, 2pm – New Roads Lions Club: Cloudy, 66°, 30 percent chance of showers

Up Next: For Mardi Gras, cloud cover will be the main weather feature as thermometers tick a little higher into the afternoon. A spotty shower remains possible. A similar forecast will hold for Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. As we progress through the week, expect temperatures to rise to the upper 70s and a little more sun to pop. We may even see the first 80 degree reading of the year somewhere on the map by Thursday.

THE EXPLANATION:

Southwesterly winds flowing through the jet stream will hold over the region through mid-week. A slight ridge by Wednesday and Thursday could shift the flow a little more due west which would tend to dry the area a bit more and also allow for some warming. As a weak surface high pressure system to the north moves eastward, winds will shift from northerly to southeasterly by mid-week. In the southwesterly jet stream, moisture will push over the cooler surface temperatures keeping primarily overcast skies around over the next three days.  Any impulses of energy in the upper level flow could result in spotty showers, but nothing widespread like over the weekend. As warmer air works back into the region Tuesday night, some fog development is possible. If we are looking for a dry day, the most likely would be Thursday as a ridge over the gulf of Mexico will bring its greatest northward extent over the local area. In addition to this, the ridge could also push thermometers near 80 degrees. Another cold front will return showers to the area Friday followed by a brief cool down for Saturday.  

--Dr. Josh

The WBRZ Weather Team is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App. on Apple and Android devices. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.