With clear skies and dry air in place we are in store for a cold night with lows dipping into the mid 30s, so sensitive vegetation will need to be covered as patchy frost is a good possibility.
After the chilly start temperatures will warm up quickly under mostly sunny skies with highs climbing into the mid 60s Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday morning will not be as cold as lows will be 15° warmer in the upper 40s to lower 50s as some clouds move over Acadiana and winds flip back out of the south.
Thursday and Friday look warm and breezy with highs in the low to mid 70s and winds out of the south at 10-20 mph.
There is a slight chance for a few stray showers Thursday and Friday afternoon but the models have backed off the rain for Acadiana for those days.
Our best rain chance comes overnight Friday into Saturday morning with our next weather maker as a strong cold front will sweep across the region.
As this front moves through Acadiana there is a good chance a squall line could develop producing rounds of heavy rain, lots of thunder and lightning, damaging wind gusts up to 60-80 mph and a few spin-up tornadoes.
Thus, if you have not taken down the Christmas decorations now is the time to get them down and put away and you might want to bring in other outdoor stuff as gusty winds will be the main issue Saturday morning.
However, the better severe weather threat looks to be just to our Northwest near the ArkLaTex Friday afternoon/evening and then to our east into Mississippi and Alabama on Saturday.
That is where the probably for some tornadoes looks to be greater which is why the Storm Prediction Center has those locations hatched in for an enhanced risk (30%) for severe weather.
This front should move in and out of Acadiana pretty quick so rainfall amounts will be near one inch.
Cooler air moves in behind the front so temperatures will fall throughout Saturday into the low to mid 60s during the day with peeks of sunshine in the afternoon.
Sunday will start off sunny but clouds will move back over the region during the afternoon but it will be another comfortable day with highs in the mid 60s.
Next week looks rainy as unsettled pattern develops with a stationary front situated along the coast creating rounds of daily showers.
The good news is although it will be wet temperatures will be on the warm side next week with highs in the lower 70s Monday through Wednesday.
