The second half of this workweek will feature a decline in rain chances. The weather should be cooperative moving into another busy football weekend.

Rest of the Week: Rain chances will drop to the floor over the next couple of days. While a stray shower could pop up on Thursday, most — if not all — of the area will stay dry. A broad, fair-weather-producing area of high pressure will maintain its influence over the area through Saturday. This will keep the daily rain coverage down at 10%. Mornings will be warm and slightly muggy with lows in the upper 60s. Meanwhile, afternoons will see highs topping the low 90s with tolerable humidity.

Friday Night Blitz: Mostly clear skies will hold into the evening hours, with only a few passing clouds. Rain does not appear to be a major concern. Though warm, it should be comfortable. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-80s around kickoff before finding the 70s by the third and fourth quarters.

LSU Football: Whether tailgating or attending the at-home matchup vs Southeastern on Saturday, expect a continuation of the mostly sunny and hot conditions. Much like recent weekends, sunscreen, hydration, and breaks in the shade will be important for tailgaters. Rain is unlikely to interfere, with the rain coverage hovering around 10%. Kickoff temperatures will likely sit in the mid-80s, falling into the 70s through the night.

Up Next: Most outdoor plans and weekend events should generally stay dry with lower-end rain chances in the mix. By early next week, a slight pattern change involving a nearby disturbance and a boost in moisture could excite a few more showers. The number of afternoon thunderstorms will bump up into the isolated realm around that time.

The Tropics: After a nearly three-week silence, the tropics woke up with the development of Tropical Storm Gabrielle on Wednesday. Now a broad and fairly disorganized system, Gabrielle will be fighting some negative influences over the next couple of days. This will result in slow strengthening at first; however, the system will find more suitable conditions for intensification over the weekend. Gabrielle may become a hurricane by Sunday as it moves into the open Atlantic. Its northwestward track means that impacts to the Gulf Coast are unlikely. But on the flip side, such a trajectory could threaten Bermuda.

Meanwhile, a tropical wave located near the Cabo Verde Islands is producing an area of showers and thunderstorms. Development odds with this wave appear low at this time as conditions only slightly favor additional organization.

Another tropical wave is forecast to move off the coast of west Africa by Friday. Slow development of this system is possible as it moves through the eastern tropical Atlantic early next week.

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— Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

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