A strong arctic cold front will bring a dramatic drop in temperatures Thursday. Temperatures could stay below freezing for nearly 48 hours. A warming trend is on the way next week with thunderstorms possible by the end of the week.
A huge temperature drop Thursday: The arctic front will begin to move through the ArkLaTex Thursday morning and will clear the area by late afternoon. Ahead of the front, temperatures will warm into the 40s and lower 50s. Once the front moves through we will see a dramatic change. For example, in Shreveport, temperatures will rise to about 53 degrees just before the front moves through early in the afternoon. By 6 pm, temperatures will likely be in the middle 20s. If you factor in the gusty northwesterly wind that will accompany the arrival of the front, wind chill temperatures could be near 10 degrees.
Temperature comparison between 11 am and 6 pm
We will likely see wind gusts of 25-35 mph. Thursday night temperatures will likely bottom out in the single digits over the northern half of the area and the low teens over the south. Friday will begin with wind chills below zero. If you are traveling out of town for Christmas, it may be a good idea to throw a couple of blankets in the car in case your vehicle breaks down.
Don’t expect much precipitation: Futurecast shows that we will see a mostly cloudy sky Wednesday night ahead of the front as the clouds will increase. We will stay mostly cloudy Thursday as the front moves through. Most hi-res models including Futurecast show that a little rain will be possible. A little bit of light sleet or snow can not be ruled out for the northern edge of the area. We likely will not have to worry about any travel issues because of this light precipitation. The clouds will quickly move out Thursday evening and we will see a clear sky Thursday night. Clouds will probably increase once again Friday. This will keep temperatures Friday well below freezing. That means that we could see nearly 48 hours of below-freezing temperatures.
How long will the cold stay? Most of the area will finally rise above freezing by Saturday afternoon as a warming trend begins. We will stay rather cold with below-normal temperatures through Tuesday. During this time lows will rise from the single-digits and teens Friday morning to the mid to upper 20s by Tuesday morning. Daytime highs will rise from the 20s Friday to the low 40s by Christmas Day to the low 50s by Tuesday. The warming trend will continue through the end of next week. By next Thursday and Friday, we could see high temperatures near 70 degrees. Lows could rise into the mid to upper 50s. Another disturbance will approach the area by the end of the week. This will bring a chance of a few thunderstorms on Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday. Unfortunately, severe weather will be on the table with the warmer air in place. Stay tuned!
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