The biggest weather story over the next 7 days will be a warming trend—albeit gradual. The latest extended forecast carries dry conditions through Tuesday.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: A really nice day is ahead—welcome after the 24 hours of active weather from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. Under blue skies and sunshine, thermometers will top out in the upper 70s with low humidity. Overnight will be clear and cool into the mid 50s.  

Up Next: Quiet and comfortable weather is in store to round out the week. More aggressive warming is expected over the weekend and highs could break into the upper 80s or perhaps reach 90 for the first time this season Sunday through Tuesday. Plenty of sun should be available each day. No significant rain chances will go on the forecast board.

The Mississippi River: At Baton Rouge, major flood stage continues with a level of 42’ as of Thursday morning. The river is expected to fall slowly over the coming weeks. 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 at this level. The level is also high in New Orleans and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is operating the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

THE EXPLANATION:

An anomalous upper level trough will park over the eastern third of the country through Thursday night. This will lead to below average temperatures and a comfortably dry air mass through that time. Surface high pressure moving from the Midwest to the Eastern Gulf will result in clear skies. By the weekend, the trough will give way to a building ridge and therefore compressional warming. High temperatures will move above average over the weekend and could approach 90 degrees Sunday or Monday. Additionally, onshore flow will begin and dew point temperatures will increase into the upper 60s and low 70s by early next. That means, your (un)friendly neighborhood humidity will be felt as well. After all, we are heading into May. 

--Josh

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