An approaching cold front will bring periods of rain and thunderstorms to the Capital Area through Saturday morning. Some of the storms could be heavy and strong. Much cooler air will follow.

Tonight & Tomorrow: Thunderstorms through Friday afternoon have produced some heavy rainfall. A few locations already have radar estimated totals near 3-4 inches, and more is on the way.

Into the evening, numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected. Rain won't be everywhere at one time, but just about everyone will get rain multiple times. Repeating rounds could lead to localized areas of flash flooding, which is why a FLOOD WATCH has been issued (more below). There is also a risk of strong to severe thunderstorms (more below). The showers and thunderstorms, in part, will be fueled by unseasonably humid and warm air that will keep temperatures in the upper 60s through most of the night. The high temperatures for Saturday will likely be recorded just after midnight.

A cold front will start to press on the Capital Area around dawn Saturday. One final push of showers and thunderstorms will accompany this front, likely in some form of squall line. This round will also be capable of gusty winds and downpours. By late morning and early afternoon, rain will taper and winds will turn northerly, dragging temperatures down through the 60s during the day. Clouds will remain fairly persistent. 

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The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. James, and Tangipahoa Parishes, as well as Amite County, from Midnight Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday. A Flood Watch means conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. For more on flooding safety, CLICK HERE.

Rainfall totaling 1-2" is likely as a baseline, but localized areas could see on the order of 3-5"+. In the areas that see particularly high rain amounts, excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. The localized flooding threat is in addition to the threat of strong to severe thunderstorms discussed in the forecast below.

A strong storm or two cannot be ruled out during the morning, but chances of coming across one will increase with daytime warming. By no means is this a "slam dunk" severe weather threat, but the ingredients will be in place for severe weather, so it's best to keep an eye out for weather alerts and be prepared to take action. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2/5 "Slight" risk of severe weather for the entire area, indicating the potential for isolated severe weather. The afternoon and evening appear to be the prime window for it. Severe storms would be capable of damaging straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, and embedded hail. 

Up Next: Clouds will linger into Sunday. You will feel much cooler temperatures in the low 40s at dawn and upper 50s in the afternoon. Skies are not expected to fully flush clouds through the first half of next week. A mix of thick high clouds and a few low clouds may occasionally give way to some breaks of sunshine. Regardless of clouds, cooler-than-average temperatures will continue. A reinforcing shot of cold air will even come in on Wednesday, with a few freezing mornings possible toward the end of next week and next weekend.

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