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Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
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Clouds thickening, precipitation to arrive late Wednesday

4 years 10 months 2 weeks ago Wednesday, January 22 2020 Jan 22, 2020 January 22, 2020 6:20 AM January 22, 2020 in Weather
Source: WBRZ Weather

After another dry day, rain will return to the area. No more freezing temperatures are in the 7-Day forecast.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: Dry surface air will keep rain chances minimal through the daylight hours of your Wednesday. However, moisture returning to the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere will produce a thickening deck of clouds. These clouds will hold high temperatures well below average in the low 50s. Soon after dusk, showers will develop from west to east with steady temperatures in the upper 40s.

Up Next: A surface low and cold front will cross the Baton Rouge area on Thursday producing periods of rain and possibly embedded thunderstorms—especially during the morning hours. As showers become more scattered in nature during the afternoon hours, a glimpse or two of sunshine is possible. A brief advance of Gulf air due to southerly winds will allow temperatures to approach 60 degrees. Fortunately, the storm system will only stick around for about 24 hours; the cold front will sweep through early Friday morning and clear the area out in time for your weekend. Temperatures will be near seasonal averages.  

THE EXPLANATION:

An upper level trough with a Pacific moisture connection in the upper levels is producing a swath of precipitation from south, central Texas northeastward into the Lower Midwest. The atmosphere and surface temperatures are cold enough to support wintry precipitation and a mix of snow, sleet and rain is expected in northwestern Louisiana before a change to all rain by afternoon. Locally, clouds will thicken. Despite their advance, the mid to low levels of the atmosphere will be too dry for any rain to develop during the daylight hours. As winds turn more southeasterly Wednesday evening, low level moisture will arrive. Showers will overspread the area from west to east after dusk and will become widespread by sunrise Thursday. Onshore flow and rising dew points will keep thermometers in the 40s and 50s through morning. An upper level trough and associated surface frontal system will move across the area on Thursday maintaining unsettled weather. Working with ample moisture, these features will produce enough lift for steady periods of rain. There could be some thunderstorm development but low instability and shear make the threat for severe weather very low. High resolution models suggest that the steadiest and heaviest period of rain will come during the morning hours. Thermometers could sneak up into the 60s due to the brief advance of Gulf moisture. The dry slot in the mid-levels of the atmosphere associated with this storm system will cut into the area around midday, shutting down much of the precipitation. Some wrap around moisture may continue clouds and scattered showers into the afternoon but due to that drier mid level air, some peeks of sun will be possible. The whole complex will shift east by Friday and expect a nice drying trend leading into the weekend. Because the storm system has Pacific and not Canadian origins, no significant cooling will occur behind the front. Near average temperatures are projected for the weekend.  

--Josh

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