Monday evening video forecast
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Your new week will begin on a quiet and chilly note. Rain will return for the end of the week and our team is monitoring a very cold air mass that could move into the region by next week.
The Next 24 Hours: Thanks to clear skies and much lighter, north winds, temperatures will be noticeably colder on Tuesday morning compared to Monday. Baton Rouge will bottom out around 33 degrees with frost and even a light freeze possible for areas north of I-10. Sunshine will quickly push Tuesday or Groundhog Day thermometers into the upper 50s. Speaking of Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil will wake up to cloudy, snowy conditions making it unlikely he will see his shadow. As the lore goes, this would indicate an early spring but the little guy’s forecast has only been right 36 percent of the time dating back to 1969.
After That: Wednesday will also start near freezing and remain quiet as sun pushes afternoon readings across 60 degrees. As winds shift southerly, thermometers will warm into the low 70s as clouds build. It is likely that the next round of showers will hold off until Thursday night. At that time, a cold front will enter the region. Clouds and scattered showers are anticipated through Saturday morning as temperatures ease down. A reinforcing cold front is expected to come through Sunday and that could bring some of the coldest air so far this winter with Monday morning lows possibly in the upper 20s. CLICK HERE to view your complete 7-Day Forecast.
The Explanation: The first half of the week will come with cool, quiet conditions. Northerly winds have kept cold air spilling into the region through Monday. Since temperatures were cooler Monday than Sunday, clear skies and lighter north winds should guide lows into the low to mid 30s. Tuesday and Tuesday night will play out almost identically with clear skies, highs in the upper 50s and then lows in the low to mid 30s. On Wednesday, a weak upper level ridge will slide over the region allowing for temperatures to warm beyond 60 degrees. Winds will shift southerly resulting in a much warmer start and finish to Thursday in the 40s and 70sd respectively. Onshore flow will also promote advancing moisture and increasing clouds. As a cold front slips into the region on Friday, scattered showers will develop. The front will stall along the coast into the weekend and therefore it could stay dreary on Saturday with clouds and lingering showers. A second cold front will push into the region Saturday night or Sunday and while precipitation looks light or non-existent, a much colder air mass will follow this one. There is still uncertainty as to whether the deepest and coldest air will track all the way to the Gulf Coast or hang north and east. As of now, forecast models are pinning lows for the Baton Rouge area in the upper 20s next Monday morning.
--Josh
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