Expect showers and thunderstorms ahead of a cold front on Wednesday. An early April chill will follow.

Next 24 Hours: Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a spotty shower possible. Low temperatures will be muggy in the upper 60s. Wednesday will be mild with high temperatures topping out in the upper 70s, likely around midday. As a cold front moves into the area, a batch of showers and thunderstorms will cross from northwest to southeast. Though widespread severe weather should not be an issue, one or two gusty storms with downpours could occur. Winds will pick up through the day, initially out of the southwest at 10-20mph before turning northwest behind the front. Especially Wednesday night, some locations could experience gusts over 40mph as skies clear and cooler air arrives.   

Added detail from local NWS, "After the cold front moves through we could see surface pressure rises on the order of 7-10mb in 6 hours...we could see widespread wind gusts of 35-40mph across all of the (area)" https://t.co/x1RcPpK1tP

— Josh Eachus (@DrJoshWX) March 30, 2021

Up Next: The week will end on a nice and cool note. After starting in the 40s, high temperatures will struggle for 60 degrees on Thursday despite maximum sunshine. Friday morning will be the chilliest period of the forecast with low temperatures in the upper 30s. Some patchy frost is even possible so you may want to protect vegetation sensitive to temperatures below 40 degrees. Plenty of sun will be around for another afternoon in the 60s. Over the weekend, gradually moderating temperatures are anticipated with lows in the mid to upper 40s and highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. A few more clouds will be around each day. CLICK HERE for your full 7-Day Forecast.   

The Explanation: A cold front will move into the region on Wednesday afternoon providing the lift needed for showers and thunderstorms. Coverage should be nearly area wide with most of the activity occurring between 10am – 5pm. One or two storms could produce downpours or gusty wind, otherwise, severe weather is not a concern per the marginal risk from SPC north of I-12. Winds will accelerate out of the northwest to promote cold air advection Wednesday night into Thursday. Morning lows will then be about 20 degrees cooler than the previous day. A much drier air mass will also allow for mainly clear skies through Thursday night. The heart of the cold pool will settle over the region Friday morning and low temperatures will dip into the upper 30s with some locations north and east of Baton Rouge potentially seeing some frost with readings in the mid 30s. A moderating trend in temperatures is then expected into the weekend. A fast moving upper level disturbance will move across the area on Saturday but with little moisture in the atmosphere, rain chances are barely above zero. Another fast moving and weak upper level system will slide through the area Sunday night into Monday. Increasing onshore flow in the low levels will bring higher atmospheric moisture content into the area, for some clouds or even a coastal shower to develop by Monday afternoon.

--Josh

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