Overnight low temperatures will drop into the mid 60s along and north of I-12. South of Lake Pontchartrain, temperatures will be in the upper 60s to low 70s. Daily high temperatures will remain slightly below average for this time of the year, topping out in the mid to upper 80s.
By late Friday, Gulf moisture will push into the region helping elevate humidity levels going into the weekend. High temperatures will remain in the upper 80s, but once the humidity returns it will feel more like the low to mid 90s.
Expect mostly sunny skies through Friday with a very low chance for rain. Rain chances stay slim through the weekend at only 30 to 40 percent on Saturday and Sunday to account for isolated afternoon showers.
In the tropics, we continue to track Tropical Storm Fiona, located in the Atlantic as it approaches the eastern Caribbean. As of Thursday night, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (mph) with gusts up to 70 mph.
The system continues to organize and strengthen despite dry air and high wind shear in the vicinity — two factors that typically limit tropical development. The storm is forecast to gradually strengthen over the next few days as it moves westward toward the Caribbean.
The latest forecast track shows the storm approaching the Leeward Islands by the weekend before curving north toward the Bahamas. However, beyond the next few days, computer models are still split on whether this system will curve more toward the northeast toward the Atlantic or stay farther west.
Stay tuned for updates over the next few days.