Thermometers have made a painstakingly slow rise above freezing as the next storm system crosses the area. While ice continues to melt, some slick spots are possible into Thursday morning. A *WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY* is in effect until 6am for Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana and West Feliciana parishes as well as Wilkinson, Amite and Pike counties.

*WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY* for the shaded area. Be careful driving. Check with @WBRZ for delays, closures. #lawx #mswx pic.twitter.com/fixSlP6Nu0

— WBRZ Weather (@WBRZweather) February 17, 2021

Next 24 Hours: Rain and embedded thunderstorms will end from west to east around midnight. Where temperatures have been hovering just above freezing north and west of Baton Rouge, some sleet and freezing rain is still possible before the precipitation ends. In addition to that, patchy ice could form into Thursday morning where thermometers nip 32 degrees. For the Capital City as well as areas south and east, beyond the rain, mainly cloudy skies will persist into Thursday morning with temperatures in the mid 30s. No major warmup is expected for the afternoon, but all area locations will be above freezing with a shot at some sun. Highs will range from the upper 30s to low 40s.

Up Next: A pair of really cold nights is ahead. Friday morning will begin in the upper 20s; mid 20s could occur if skies clear a bit earlier than expected. Fortunately, surfaces should be well dried by then making ice less of a concern. Sun will return in full on Friday afternoon with highs in the mid 40s. The weekend will begin in the mid 20s followed up by a 10 degree day over day improvement into the 50s. Sunday will be even warmer, reaching the 60s before the next chance for showers. Overall, temperatures look stable from the end of the weekend into early next week. CLICK HERE for your full 7-Day Forecast.   

The Explanation: A warm front draped across south Louisiana, south of I-10, will not make much inland progress tonight. Therefore, with northerly winds continuing, a very cold rain and light wintry mix will fall through midnight for area north and west of Baton Rouge. These locations could also dip to freezing overnight allowing for some patchy ice formation before daybreak Thursday. In the Metro Area, chilly rain will fall before tapering late and this will eliminate any remaining ice. Closer to the Louisiana coast, some thunderstorms could be in the mix with the same timeline. The surface low responsible for the active weather will pull away to the northeast on Thursday ending the precipitation. However, the main upper level trough driving this whole mess will hold back to the west on Thursday. For this reason, northerly winds will continue and a very low cloud deck could be trapped beneath the pool of cold air aloft. Gradual clearing will come later in the day but it will not be enough to warm most locations beyond 40 degrees or so. Thermometers will dip back into the upper 20s on Friday morning. The trough will push east then and allow ample sunshine to close the week as highs get well past 40 degrees. One more very cold night is expected into Saturday before the upper level pattern calms over the weekend. High temperatures will increase 10 degrees each day this weekend, making it into the 60s on Sunday. Then, a weak, Pacific-based cold front will send a few showers our way Sunday night into Monday. After some showers, thermometers will barely take a hit, remaining near seasonal averages.       

--Josh

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