Residents in Claiborne Parish should prepare for a wet start to the midweek period before a stretch of sunny and cooler weather arrives, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say Wednesday will begin with a chance of showers and thunderstorms before more widespread rain and possible thunderstorms develop after 1 p.m. High temperatures are expected to reach around 78 degrees. Winds will shift from the south at 5 to 10 mph before becoming southwest in the afternoon, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. Rain chances are high, with a 90 percent probability of precipitation.

Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected to continue Wednesday night, especially before 1 a.m., followed by a lingering chance of showers overnight. Temperatures will fall sharply as cooler air moves in, with lows around 44 degrees. North winds of 5 to 10 mph could gust up to 20 mph. The chance of rain overnight is around 80 percent.

Skies will clear by Thursday, bringing sunny conditions with a high near 65 degrees. Clear skies Thursday night will allow temperatures to drop to around 42 degrees.
Sunshine will continue into Friday with a high near 76 degrees and a clear Friday night with lows around 49.

The weekend looks warm and pleasant. Saturday is expected to be sunny with a high near 81 degrees and a mostly clear night with lows around 56. Sunday will be partly sunny with temperatures reaching about 82 degrees.

Clouds will begin to increase Sunday night with a slight 20 percent chance of showers and a low around 47. By Monday, mostly cloudy skies are expected with a high near 63 degrees.

Meteorologists encourage residents to remain weather-aware on Wednesday as storms move through the parish before calmer and warmer conditions arrive later in the week.