SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – After another chilly night across the ArkLaTex, warmer air began to move back into the ArkLaTex Tuesday.  We will see above-normal temperatures from late this week through most of next week. A wet weather pattern settle in next week. 

Warmer air is returning: Tuesday got off to a rather chilly start around the ArkLaTex with morning lows settling into the low to middle 40s over most of the area.  Despite that rather chilly start, we have seen a warming trend begin today with highs returning to the 70s.  That warming trend will continue on Wednesday. Lows Wednesday morning will settle into the mid to upper 40s.  Daytime highs should be pretty close to normal in the mid to upper 70s.  This warming trend will continue into the weekend when highs warm into the low to middle 80s.

Sunshine to stick around:  Futurecast shows that we will see a clear sky across the ArkLaTex Tuesday night.  Most of the area will see lots of sunshine on Wednesday.  A very weak front will approach the area late Wednesday night and will likely bring an increase in clouds and a very small chance of a few showers.  The clouds and spotty rain threat will continue into Thursday, however, Thursday will end with the return of lots of sunshine.  That sunshine will likely stick around for Friday, this weekend, and early next week.  

Weather pattern could change next week:  A look at the long-range outlook for the ArkLaTex shows that rain will continue to be rather limited for most of the next 10 days. .  Minus the slight chance of rain this Thursday, our next chance will probably hold off until the middle of next week.  There is good model agreement that the weather pattern across the country will flip from a ridge in the west and trough in the east to a trough in the west and ridge over the east.  This will bring more southern upper-level flow to our part of the country by the middle of next week resulting in an increasing chance of rain.  The center of the upper ridge over the east part of the country could be close enough to bring a big range in rainfall potential.  The blend of longer range models has shown a dramatic increase in its rainfall projections.  The heaviest rain will likely fall over the northwestern half of the area where amounts of 3-6” will be possible.  It now appears that 1-3” will be possible over the southeast.  Keep in mind that this rain is still more than a week away so we likely will see more changes in this outlook.

Warm air to stick around Temperatures next week will likely stay a little above normal.  Overnight lows will mainly be in the 50s and lower 60s.  They could warm well into the 60s with more clouds and rain by the middle of the week.  Daytime highs next week will mainly be in the upper 70s and lower 80s.  We could see another cooling trend settle in by the end of next week.