Overview
- Mild weather will continue Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the mid‑ to upper‑70s and a few spots near 80, offering the warmest days before the front.
- Forecasters now expect a strong cold front to move through Thursday, producing widespread rain that may be heavy at times during the afternoon and evening.
- Colder air arrives Friday, cutting Gulf Coast highs into the 60s and dropping Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast highs into the 40s, with scattered showers and a chance of a few non‑accumulating snowflakes at higher elevations.
- Saturday morning looks to be the coldest of the period with patchy frost possible in interior lowlands north of Lake Pontchartrain and gusty post‑frontal northwest winds up to about 30–35 mph in exposed or higher terrain, which could disrupt outdoor events and marine operations.
- Conditions should moderate by mid‑next week, but residents are advised to protect tender plants, plan for soggy travel on Thursday, and watch for small shifts in the coastal low track that could change where rain, wind, or brief snow occur.