Over the weekend, the forecast area saw a textbook “pop-up showers and thunderstorms” type of pattern. This week starts off similar with scattered showers and thunderstorms today and tomorrow.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: Monday will feature mostly cloudy skies early with showers and thunderstorms flaring up by mid-morning and lasting into the late afternoon hours. 13 Parish, 3 County rain coverage will be on the order of 70 percent. Any storms could bring a brief downpour but no significant rain amounts are expected. Don’t look for a constant rain, rather off and on activity. A slowed afternoon commute is possible if the scattered action moves over the interstate system. Prior to any rain, temperatures will top out in the low 80s. Overnight showers and thunderstorms will fizzle with temperatures falling into the mid 60s beneath partly cloudy skies.

Up Next: Tuesday will bring fewer showers and storms and then shower coverage begins to taper into Wednesday with a little more sunshine. By the latter half of the week, expect more sun than clouds. As we approach the weekend however, another front is expected to pass through the region. We are in a period now where fronts become less likely and afternoon pop-up showers and thunderstorms become more prevalent. It's possible that we could experience a drop in temperatures with this front. As far as timing, it looks like this front could pass anytime between late Saturday and early Monday.

THE SCIENCE:  A late spring, early summer type of weather pattern continues minus the intense heat. Cooler air aloft with some minor disturbances aiding lift will produce scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday. By the end of the week an upper level ridge will build over the area once again, drying and warming the atmosphere and shutting down shower action. In addition to that, temperatures will warm considerably with highs running for the upper 80s. Fortunately, the ridge axis is expected to be relatively weak. This will keep thermometers from getting too out of control and  reduce the threat for severe weather as a cold front will be moving southward through Arkansas. A strong cold front will then cross the area Saturday with a round of showers and thunderstorms. Forecast models indicate a significant cool down and much lower humidity from late weekend into early next week.

--Josh