Short Term:  We are dealing with another cool and pleasant start to the day.  The skies are clear with temperatures in the lower 50s across much of south Louisiana.  That sweater or jacket may be needed this morning, but you will not need it later...

The fantastic weather continues today for the 6th straight day!  I do not think many people are complaining since it is very comfortable.  A weak cold front will skirt by to the north of Louisiana today, and this will be a dry front.  That means we will have more sunny skies and warm temperatures in the upper 70s. 

An area of high pressure will build in behind the cold front tonight, and this will send a reinforcing shot of colder air toward Baton Rouge.  The skies will be clear, but the low temperatures will fall down to the mid and upper 40s.  BRRRR!!

Friday & The Weekend:  We will remain dry over the next few days, but the weather will start to change.  The area of high pressure will remain over us on Friday, and that will continue to provide us with the sunny skies.  Highs will be in the mid 70s.

That area of high pressure will move toward the North Carolina coast, and that will allow southerly winds to come back to the Northern Gulf Coast states on Saturday.  These winds will pump in moisture from the Gulf, and that is going to make it more humid.  You will see this happening as partly cloudy skies return.  It will be warm with highs in the upper 70s, and lows in the upper 50s Saturday night.

A cold front will approach and slowly move through Louisiana on Monday & Tuesday.  Some showers will start to pop-up on Sunday night since we will have plenty of moisture in place.  It will remain warm and humid with lows around 60. 

Tropical Update:  Ida formed yesterday afternoon, and it is a hurricane this morning.  Ida is located about 60 miles NNE of Bluefields, Nicaragua.  It is moving to the NW near 7 mph with sustained winds of 75 mph.  The pressure is 987 mb.  Ida will make landfall in Nicaragua today.  Once inland, Ida will weaken, and continue to track NW over Eastern Nicaragua and Honduras over the next few days.

The question still remains as to how strong Ida will be once it emerges into the NW Caribbean over the weekend.  It is very possible that the storm will totally dissipate over the rough terrain over Nicaragua and Honduras.  However, it could still have enough energy to survive the track over land, and then could restrengthen once it hits the NW Caribbean.  The official forecast track takes Ida across the eastern Yucatan Peninsula and then into the southern Gulf of Mexico by next Tuesday.  Some of the forecast models do track Ida into the Central Gulf by the middle of next week. 

Historically, a tropical system has not made a landfall in Louisiana dating back to 1851 in the month of November.  If a storm has entered into the Gulf and starts heading toward Louisiana, a cold front usually comes through around the same time.  This deflects the system to the north and east, or toward Florida. 

It looks like if Ida survives, and makes it into the Gulf of Mexico, another cold front will likely deflect it away from us according to the latest forecast models.  You can see their tracks here on the WBRZ Hurricane Center page.  Nonetheless, I will watch Ida closely to see what happens over the next week. 

Elsewhere. . .the rest of the tropics are quiet, and tropical cyclone formation is not expected through Friday.