A very warm Thursday afternoon will flirt with record highs for January 30th before a line of strong storms moves across the state tonight. While the severe threat for our region is on the lower side, it is not zero, and highly advised to have weather alerts turned on before bed tonight. 

Today & Tonight: A few spotty showers early Thursday may make for slick roadways during the morning commute. Lower clouds around the region, especially over bridges, could also lead to very limited visibility. Giving yourself extra time during peak morning commute hours may be a good idea. Conditions today begin mild and muggy with lows in the 60s. 

This afternoon will be exceptionally warm for the second to last day of January. A high temperature of 82° is forecast for the Capital City, nearing the record high for this date of 83° (2002). Though mostly cloudy skies are expected in the morning and evening hours, a period of sunshine mid-day will help temperatures on the thermometer soar. Winds today will be breezy between 15-25 mph with gusts even higher. As for rain chances during daytime hours, a few spotty showers cannot be ruled out, but the main line of thunderstorms will roll through overnight. 

The line of showers and storms will move across Texas this morning and eventually into western Louisiana this afternoon. This system will approach the Capital region from the west, nearing northwestern parishes as early as 9 pm. The numerous storms will then roll across southeast Louisiana in about 6 hours. There is a Level 2/5 “slight risk” for severe weather for areas west of Baton Rouge with everywhere else under a Level 1/5 “marginal risk.” In general, severe weather ingredients look limited with this system but the need for a weather warning is possible. Due to the thin and quick-moving nature of the line, most locations will see under a half inch of rain with up to an inch possible north and west of Baton Rouge. The storms will be leading a cold front that will help clear skies and dry things out by Friday afternoon. 

Up Next: The storms will be leading a cold front that will help clear skies and dry things out by Friday afternoon. Expect sunshine to return with westerly breezes of 10-15mph. Cooler air is not expected with this front, so temperatures will remain above average through the weekend. Highs Friday through Sunday will be in the low-70s with lows in the upper-40s under clear skies. Temperatures will remain above average next week and in the long term, even beyond the next seven days.

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– Josh