LATEST: Helene is now a hurricane and will continue to strengthen before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle Thursday evening. See The Tropics section for the latest on the storm.

A cold front will move through Louisiana today delivering much drier and slightly cooler air for the second half of the week and weekend. Hurricane Helene is still expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday. 

Today & Tonight: The Capital Region will start off Wednesday with the same mild and muggy feel that has been around for the past week or so. Clear skies will allow for quick warming of temperatures this morning, into the low-90's by lunchtime. A cold front will slowly crawl across the state from the north today, eventually passing through SE Louisiana Wednesday afternoon and evening. As it does, scattered showers will pop-up along the front, a few of which could bring heavier downpours and gusty winds. Those that don't see rain will remain warm with partly sunny skies all afternoon. 

Tonight, as the front continues to push south towards the gulf, storms will taper off, skies will begin to clear, and winds will pick up as they usher in drier air from the north.   

Up Next: Behind the cold front, skies will become mostly sunny, humidity will begin to drop, and winds will be breezy out of the north between 10-20 mph on Thursday. Temperatures beginning Thursday and through the weekend will be quite pleasant, with mornings with lows in the 60's and afternoon's in the 80's. Rain coverage will remain slim through the weekend as well; great news for any outdoor activities and another LSU home game!  

Get the latest 7-day forecast and real time weather updates HERE.

Watch live news HERE.

The Tropics: As of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, Helene continues to strengthen and is now a category 1 hurricane with  maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and is moving NNW at 10 mph. Hurricane Helene is expected to quickly intensify over the next 24-36 hours as it moves north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The system is forecast to become a major Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 120 mph before making landfall Thursday evening along the panhandle of Florida.  Hurricane Warnings and a State of Emergency have already been declared in the state for significant impacts from storm surge, wind and rain that will begin as early as Wednesday afternoon. 

Satellite surface wind data from today showed a broad open trough associated with a tropical wave located near the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form in a few days while it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.

A third area in the northern Atlantic ocean has been highlighted as having a low chance of tropical development over the next 7-days. This system, if able to form, will move eastward, away from the continental United States, and therefore posing no threat to America at this time. 

– Emma Kate C. 

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