Scattered rain chances into the weekend, watching the Gulf

SUMMARY: Temperatures remain near average with scattered showers or storms each afternoon into the weekend. The tropics continue to look active with development likely into the Gulf this weekend.

THURSDAY: Expect a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the lower 90s and scattered showers and storms in the afternoon.

FRIDAY: Isolated to scattered showers remain possible in the afternoon as highs stay in the lower 90s for most places.

WEEKEND: Expect a slight increase in cloud cover for Saturday and Sunday, which should hold highs back in the upper 80s each day with isolated showers possible in the afternoon.

NEXT WEEK: The forecast will depend highly on what transpires in the Gulf through the weekend. There is a high probability of a tropical system affecting the Gulf Coast, but the exact location of the worst impacts remains very uncertain at this point. Right now, forecast models are targeting Louisiana for a landfall then moving the system to the north. This general idea is supported by both forecast models and their ensembles, so rain chances look to substantially increase for northeast MS and west AL Monday into Tuesday. Stay tuned for additional changes to the forecast!