Today’s severe weather threat is over! The strong disturbance that brought thunderstorms and heavy rain to the ArkLaTex Tuesday night and Wednesday will quickly move out giving way to several days of sunshine.  Much colder air returns Friday with below-normal temperatures through most of the weekend.

Storms moving out: An area of low pressure and trailing cold front are moving through the ArkLaTex.  This system has brought lots of rain and a few strong storms to the area.  It will quickly move east Wednesday evening taking the threat of rain with it.  

Sunshine to return for several days:  Futurecast shows that we will see the rain exit the area Wednesday evening followed by a clearing sky Wednesday night.  Sunshine will return Thursday ahead of a second front that will usher in some much cooler air.  This front will not have much moisture or upper-level support so we likely won’t see many clouds and definitely won’t see any rain.  Expect a mostly clear sky Thursday night. Friday will be a mostly sunny and rather windy day as a strong northwesterly wind of 15 to 20 mph will bring in the cold.  Highs Friday will likely struggle to make it into the 50s for much of the area.  Lows Friday night will likely dip below freezing

Rain & warmer temperatures next week: After a rather cool weekend with highs in the 50s and low 60s, we will see more mild air return for much of next week.  Highs will return to the 70s by the middle of the week.  Overnight lows will warm back into the 40s and 50s. We will see two disturbances next week that will bring the threat of rain.  The first will arrive early in the week and will bring a chance of rain Monday that will likely peak Monday night and Tuesday.  A second system will bring a quick shot of rain next Thursday.  We should then dry out again by next Friday and next weekend.

Rainfall potential next week:  A blend of the long-range models shows that another one to over 2” of rain will be possible next week.  The graphic above shows 10-day rainfall potential that does include some of this afternoon’s rain.

Dry Mardi Gras weekends?  It still appears that the weather will likely cooperate with Mardi Gras festivities BOTH this weekend and next weekend.  We should see plenty of sunshine this weekend with highs in the 50s Saturday for the Krewe of Centaur parade.  Early indications are that next weekend will also be dry and cool with temperatures in the 50s & low 60s.  Stay Tuned!