A pattern shift begins to take shape closer to the weekend. Winds will increase first, followed by rain chances. This will lead to parts of the weekend on the soggier side.

Tonight & Tomorrow: Clouds escape the capital area on Thursday night, giving way to mostly clear skies. This will push temperatures down to the middle and upper-40s. We’ll see partly sunny skies through the day on Friday with highs near 70°. We do include a 10% mention for a rain chance to account for the off chance that a sprinkle or two develops. Most, if not everyone, appears to get through the day on a dry note.

You will likely notice a breeze on Friday as our easterly winds accelerate. Wind speeds will push 15 mph during the day near Baton Rouge with gusts near 25 mph. Closer to the coast, we expect stronger winds.

Up Next: Into this weekend, the Storm Station is tracking our next weathermaker. Rain moves into western Louisiana before dawn on Saturday. We’ll have to wait until after daybreak to see rain moving into the capital region. We’ll keep showers around through the afternoon and early evening before things dry out on Saturday night. The latest data is beginning to show rain breaking up as it enters southeast Louisiana. This will be a trend to monitor closely. Up to 1” of rain is possible, with locally higher totals possible under heavier showers. Sunday looks dry and breezy, with clearing skies though the day. The pattern remains quiet next week also. However, low temperatures may dip back down into frost/freeze territory early Tuesday and Wednesday.

-- Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

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