FIRST ALERT FORECAST: Quieter pattern in place until next week

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - It’s been a beautiful day outside of some cool breezes that kicked in this afternoon as temperatures warmed into the middle to upper 50s across Southwest Louisiana. Expect temperatures to drop quickly into the 40s after sunset, but winds have already shifted back out of the south which will keep lows tonight from dropping as low as this morning. In fact, temperatures may actually begin to rise closer to sunrise.

Through the day on Thursday, another weak front will move closer to the area, expected to move through during the evening hours. Ahead of this front, one of the warmest days we’ll get to enjoy over the next ten will be in store with highs in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees. This front will be moisture-starved as other than a few clouds, should not be noticeable as it moves through expect for a wind shift and a colder start to Friday morning with lows back into the 30s.

Friday we’re back to sunshine with highs back into the middle to upper 50s with breezy northwesterly winds. This cooler and drier pattern lasts into the weekend with a light freeze for parts of Southwest Louisiana Friday night into Saturday morning. Another weak disturbance will pass on Sunday, but rain chances stay less than 20% as the weekend should remain rain-free.

Rain chances will be the talk of much of next week as models converge on a rather slow-moving storm system that will slowly begin to arrive beginning Tuesday. Moisture returning up the Gulf by Tuesday will be followed closely behind with showers that will increase in coverage Wednesday and Thursday as the area of low pressure slowly moves by the area. This setup has the potentially to dump some locally heavy rainfall, but until models do a better job on timing, we’ll leave exact details on that out for now.

First Alert Meteorologist Ben Terry

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