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Wednesday morning video forecast
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A cold front crawling into the region will activate showers and thunderstorms for the middle of the week. Heavier and stronger storms should stay north and west of the Baton Rouge area. A significant difference in temperatures is noted across the boundary with 70s in northwest Louisiana and 30s across the border in northeast Texas where frozen precipitation is occuring. That cold air will not make it to the Gulf Coast.
THE FORECAST:
Today and Tonight: More extensive cloud cover is expected for Wednesday with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing—especially during the afternoon hours. High temperatures should still be able to make it into the low 80s prior to any rain. Winds will stay out of the south at 10-15mph. LSU Baseball should be able to complete their contest against New Orleans this evening, but a brief delay is not out of the question. Overnight, a few showers remain possible with low temperatures barely falling out of the 70s.
It has been a while since we talked about those rain chances, or percentages on the forecast board often seen during the warm season. Here is a quick reminder about what those mean for the WBRZ Weather 13 Parish, 3 County forecast area.
10-30% - Isolated: a few locations receive measurable rain
30-60% - Scattered: part to half of the area receives measurable rain
60-100% - Widespread: almost all of the area receives measurable rain
Keep in mind, those chances tell nothing about timing. For instance, 100% DOES NOT mean it will rain all day. We will be sure to provide information in our forecasts as to when you can expect rain when chances are on the board.
Up Next: A cold front responsible for bringing unsettled weather will begin to weaken on Thursday. Therefore, a little less shower and thunderstorm coverage is expected. Highs may still be able to reach 80 despite mostly cloudy skies. A weak disturbance will keep scattered showers and thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday. In general, a period of relatively quieter weather is anticipated before another cold front moves into area for the latter half of the weekend. This will keep rain chances elevated into at least Monday. Even though these fronts bring some times of rain and clouds, we still do not foresee any significant cooling on the horizon. With this warm weather, many have been inspired to ask, “Can I plant my garden?” Our weather team took a shot at answering that question for you, HERE.
THE EXPLANATION:
While an upper level ridge remains positioned off the Southeast Coast, a trough in the west will shove a cold front toward the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday. The parent trough will not reach the region though and thus the front will slow its forward progress and either retreat north or dissipate. Deep southwest flow will support rounds of heavy rain along the front and there may be some flooding issues just to the northwest of our area, closer to where the boundary stalls. Locally, we can expect scattered showers and thunderstorms with the most activity in the northwestern half of the forecast area. Since the front will not clear the coast, expect continued warmth and some humidity. The upper level ridge will again build across the area reducing rain chances Thursday. A weak, fast moving shortwave trough may bump the rain chances back up again Friday before another dip on Saturday. Yet another storm system will cut across the country on Sunday. This one will try to send another front toward the area possibly increasing rain and thunderstorm chances again for the second half of the weekend. Depending on how far south this boundary makes it, we could be in for an extended unsettled stretch or maybe a reprieve if the front dives all the way into the Gulf of Mexico.
--Dr. Josh
The WBRZ Weather Team is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App. on Apple and Android devices. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.
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