Early clouds on the Fourth may briefly ease the heat. Eventually the sun will poke out, warming temperatures to support a few pop-up storms. Over the weekend, heat will surge.
Fourth of July: Early cloud cover and morning sprinkles will work to take the edge off the heat. But sunshine will return for many by afternoon. Clearing will take place for communities northeast of Baton Rouge initially and migrate southwest with time. Areas near the Atchafalaya Basin and coast will hang on to cloud cover the longest. Even with a delayed warmup, highs have the potential to reach the low 90s depending on sunshine. That will be warm enough to pop spotty showers and storms. Any leftover showers will gradually wrap up through the evening. For WBRZ’s Fireworks on the Mississippi, expect clearing skies with temperatures falling into the low 80s. The rest of the night will feature mainly clear skies with a low in the mid 70s.
The Weekend: A wave of dry air will move into the region on Saturday, keeping rain to a minimum. Mostly sunny skies and a lack of rain will result in a fast temperature climb with highs soaring into the mid 90s. On Sunday, moisture will start easing back in. A few more storms will ignite in the heat of the day as a result.
Looking Beyond: Temperatures will start coming down next week as afternoon storms maintain more of a presence. Rain may not necessarily be limited to the afternoon, but it will be enhanced by daytime warming. That will be the case until about midweek. Then, another ridge of high pressure will build and pattern to flip-flop again…