If you’ve been sweating the near-record heat this week, get ready—big changes are coming! We’re looking at a shift in the weather pattern this weekend that will bring rain, storms, and a cooldown to start next week.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect:

• Friday: windy with near-record warmth
• Saturday: increasing clouds and showers
• Saturday night into Sunday morning: thunderstorms, possibly severe
• Sunday: lingering showers, cooler
• Monday through Wednesday: chilly mornings and dry afternoons

Tonight and Tomorrow: Clouds will thicken again overnight. Ongoing south winds of 10-20mph will make it difficult for temperatures to drop beyond the mid 70s. The heat sticks around for the end of the work week, with highs in the upper 80s on Friday. The ongoing wind will help take the edge off. While we could see a stray shower, most areas will stay dry.

Weekend: The weekend kicks off with generally dry and warm conditions. Saturday will still be warm and windy, with highs in the mid-80s. Through the afternoon, a spotty shower or thunderstorm is possible ahead of a cold front, but most of the daylight hours will stay dry. Overnight is the big time to watch. Widespread showers and thunderstorms, possibly in the form of a squall line could bring another round of severe weather. The biggest risk will be in southwest Mississippi and along the Atchafalaya Basin, where conditions are more favorable for intense storms. At this time, all hazards appear possible and especially since this appears to be a late night or early morning threat, it is super important to have a way to receive weather alerts if asleep.

Beyond: There is some question still as to how long rain could linger on Sunday. Regardless, after the initial round of storms, the threat of severe weather will end and temperatures will cool significantly. If you have outdoor plans on Sunday, stay in touch with the forecast as the rain end time comes into focus. Right now, we anticipate at least some dry time Sunday afternoon. 

Monday’s high will only reach the upper 60s, followed by a dip into the 40s on Tuesday! Don’t be surprised if you need a jacket a few mornings next week. A stretch of sunny, dry afternoons is in store for the middle of the week.

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

Watch live news HERE.

– Josh 

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