FIRST ALERT FORECAST: A nice weekend is ahead while much-needed rain remains elusive

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Comfortable weather continues for the weekend, but much-needed rain will stay out of the forecast well into next week.

The dry air will bring more cool mornings and warm afternoons. Highs Saturday afternoon will return to the low-to-mid 80’s with morning lows Sunday down into the upper 40’s to mid 50’s. Humidity will stay low enough to bring more enjoyable conditions for outdoor plans and events this weekend.

By next Tuesday, there may be an increase in upper-level cloudiness moving into the region. This could knock temperatures down a couple of degrees, but highs should stay in the 80’s and don’t expect any clouds to bring rain.

Some longer-range models suggest a possible pattern change around or just after Halloween which could bring back chances for some showers or storms. The caveat is that sometimes models back away high-pressure systems more quickly than in reality, so this potential rain is far from guaranteed. For now, don’t count on drought relief at least over the next seven days. We’ll keep an eye on trends for the end of the month but expect the dry weather to hold strong for now.

When enjoying time outside, please continue to:

• Use caution with all outdoor activities
• Abide by burn bans
• Avoid open burning activities
• Refrain from any activities that could spark a fire

The Atlantic remains quiet with no development expected over the next seven days and likely longer than that.