A tease of warmer weather on Saturday will quickly turn cold behind a strong front set to move through the Capital Area tomorrow night. Preparations for the upcoming frigid weather should be completed by Sunday night, including wrapping exposed pipes and covering plants. 

Today & Tonight: Clear skies overnight allowed temperatures to cool into the 30s around the region Friday morning. A sunny start to the day will turn mostly cloudy this afternoon with temperatures warming into the middle-60s. Spotty showers will be possible overnight after nightfall with scattered rain and thunderstorm activity. A few showers will linger into the day on Saturday. Morning lows under cloudy skies will be very mild tomorrow, in the upper 50s. 

The Weekend: After a cloudy and mild start Saturday, temperatures will continue to warm, into the low 70s for afternoon highs. Besides a few lingering showers the day will be mostly dry. Late Saturday night, a strong cold front will sweep through the state from the northwest, clearing skies and delivering a punch of cold air. By Sunday morning, temperatures will have fallen into the 30s and struggle to warm during the day. Thanks to the breezy northerly wind that will continue to usher in the cold air throughout the day, highs will only rise into the 40s, but likely feel 5-10° cooler. The skies will be sunny all day. 

Runners in the Louisiana Marathon will face drastically different conditions depending on which day they're competing. 5k and quarter marathon runners on Saturday should prepare for wet pavement and temperatures in the mid to upper-60s, whereas half and full marathon contestants will face sunshine with temperatures near 40°. 

Arctic Blast: The talk of the town lately has centered on a chance of wintry precipitation next week. While the signal still exists in computer model guidance, there is still much to be determined. Just about anything is possible - snow, sleet, freezing rain, chilly rain, or nothing at all. It will all come down to how much Gulf moisture can overlap with a frigid air mass already in place. Be sure to watch out for updates from the Storm Station, especially over the weekend as things come into focus. Should impacts occur, it would happen around Tuesday.

By next week, morning lows will at least dip into the mid-20s. That is hard freeze territory, meaning that now is the time to make sure any outdoor exposed plumbing is wrapped and insulated. Daytime highs will be in the 40s on most days, but wintry precipitation could result in even cooler highs (even lows) depending on how things play out. Make sure to have a way to receive weather alerts, as many regarding the incoming cold weather will likely be issued in the coming days. 

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-Emma Kate C.