Tuesday PM Forecast: windy and warm conditions continue
A *WIND ADVISORY* is in effect from 9am - 6pm Wednesday. South winds of 20-30mph are expected and occasional gusts over 40mph will be possible. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle.
Tonight & Tomorrow: The nighttime hours will be mostly cloudy and breezy. With winds out of the south at 10-15mph, low temperatures will stay muggy in the upper 60s. On Wednesday, wind will sustained out of the south at 20-30mph with some gusts at or above 40mph. Some breaks of sun will help high temperatures into the low 80s. Late in the day, a weak front will approach from the northwest and could try to wring out an isolated shower north and west of the city, but widespread measurable rain is not likely.
Up Next: Thursday and Friday will be the warmest of the forecast period. A little more afternoon sun is expected and high temperatures will be running about 20 degrees above average. At 86 and 85 respectively, both Thursday and Friday are forecast to tie record highs set just one year ago. The overnight low temperatures will stay rather muggy too, in the mid to upper 60s through the shortened workweek. Into the weekend, the air may dry out just enough for clouds to thin out and low temperatures to dip back into the mid 60s. The afternoons will still be warm with highs in the mid 80s. A cold front will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to the area on Monday. While temperatures may come down a few degrees behind the front, they will stay well above average into the middle of next week.
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Detailed Forecast: A broad and anomalous upper level ridge of high pressure will anchor over the eastern Gulf of Mexico through the end of the week. This will cause well above average high and low temperatures, and largely shield the area from organized systems capable of producing rain. During the nights, a little bit of fog could develop along the coast but will be maintained further inland as a low cloud deck because winds of 10-15mph will keep the surface air too mixed. Daytime warming will cause the layer of clouds to gradually evaporate and sunshine will bump high temperatures into the low 80s. A weak upper level trough of low pressure will move into the Plains States on Wednesday but stay far enough west that instability will likely remain too weak for organized showers and thunderstorms. However, the low will be strong enough to produce a tight pressure gradient with the surface high beneath the ridge in the Gulf to cause rather windy conditions on Wednesday. The sustained numbers may be more than 25mph with gusts up to 40mph possible. The ridge may reach peak intensity and proximity to the local area on Thursday and Friday leading to near record warmth. It is worth noting that if Baton Rouge reaches 88 degrees, it will tie the all-time warmest temperature on record in the month of February. A stalling front may try to sag southward Thursday night into Friday. While this feature will have little definition left, it could drop dew point temperatures by a few degrees into the weekend. More likely, the front will wash out north of our area and muggy conditions and above average temperatures will persist through the weekend.
--Josh
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