Parts of Louisiana hit record temperatures | Weather

Southeast Louisiana isn't exactly experiencing warm weather these days, and it could take a while for those so-called fall temperatures to really cool down.

If you're waiting in line to vote, be sure to bring a bottle of water — and possibly a raincoat. The New Orleans area has a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly before 2 p.m. For Baton Rouge, the chance is 50 percent, mostly before 3 p.m., with the possibility of heavy rain.

Baton Rouge hit a record high of 91 degrees for November on Monday and New Orleans is well above average for this time of year, reaching 85 degrees on Monday, three degrees below the daily record.

The days will begin with well-above-average lows in both areas, National Weather Service meteorologist Christopher Bannan said. In Baton Rouge, Monday's low was 75 compared to the average of 51. Tuesday's low was 74 – typically the average high this time of year.

“We’re starting at 23 degrees above normal,” Bannan said.

In New Orleans, the average low temperature is 57, but Tuesday started nearly 20 degrees higher at 75. The average high temperature for New Orleans is also 74.

A driving factor for the high temperatures is the amount of “low humidity” leading to high humidity, Bannan said.

“We're in a blocking pattern with this area of ​​high pressure just sitting over the area, and one of the bigger issues is just a lot of low-level moisture,” he said. “It doesn't let us cool down at night, so we start the day in the mid-70s. It doesn't take much to warm up pretty quickly.”

Meteorologists have been keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Rafael in the Caribbean, but even that so far doesn't look like it will make much of a difference in the amount of rainfall needed here, Bannan said.

Another cold front likely won't move through the area until next week, he said.