It was just in 2015 that record setting warmth was registered for several days on either side of Christmas. Five years later and some of those marks could be challenged. 

Next 24 Hours: One more chilly night is ahead. With clear skies and calm winds, low temperatures will easily drop back into the upper 30s. The coolest areas will again be north and east of Baton Rouge where some pockets of frost may develop. Winds will take on a southerly direction Thursday creating a more substantial warmup. Beneath sunny skies, high temperatures will head for the upper 60s and possibly low 70s.     

Up Next: Mostly clear skies will dominate through the weekend. The big story will be temperatures. Highs will reach for the upper 70s by Friday. Christmas Day right on into early next week could have afternoon readings pushing the 80s and flirting with record highs. Saturday through Monday, record highs are 83, 84 and 82. Our forecast sits just below those numbers. The next chance of precipitation will come with a weak cold front around the middle of next week. Though it could bring a few showers, it is not likely to have much cooler air. CLICK HERE for your detailed 7-Day Forecast.

The Explanation: A surface high pressure system will end up northeast of the area into Thursday morning resulting in clear skies and light, northeast winds. These features will result in another chilly night with low temperatures in the mid to upper 30s, but possibly slightly warmer than last night for areas west of the Mississippi River where dew points will be a little higher. The much advertised warming trend will really ramp up on Thursday as winds take on a southerly direction. Highs will be about 5 degrees warmer than today. Skies will be mainly clear with little more than some patchy cirrus clouds. Friday through Sunday, a strong upper level ridge of high pressure will build over the central Gulf Coast. Expect even more warming and continued partly to mostly clear skies. High temperatures will be close to records but are currently forecast to end up just a few degrees shy. A cold front will try to dig into the South by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. With the ongoing extended stretch of southerly winds and moisture building into the atmosphere, the front should be able to instigate a few showers. However, there are no signs of a major temperature change associated with the front.    

--Josh

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