The end of a long dry spell is coming this week, but the arrival of much-need rain on Halloween may not be gentle, though it will be welcome.

It has been more than a month since the Ark-La-Tex received measurable rainfall, leading to burn bans in many parishes. However, that’s expected to change this coming Thursday as the high-pressure system hanging over the region finally breaks down with a cold front and rain taking its place. Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected until then, but a cool weekend with the chance for more rain likely will follow Thursday’s storms.

National Weather Service Shreveport Office Meteorologist Michael Berry said Shreveport recorded 0.03 inches of rain this past Saturday, the first measurable rainfall in more than 30 days. Rain chances in Shreveport start Wednesday night but are highest for Thursday during the day when as much as 1 inch of precipitation is possible.

The cold front Thursday could drop temperatures significantly. Berry said daytime rain is almost a sure thing for Thursday, but what’s less certain is whether that rain will last into the evening — making Halloween night a wet one. 

“Our best chances for rain across the Shreveport metro area are going to be during the day Thursday, and we’re going to do our best to try to get all that precipitation east of our area for trick-or-treaters Thursday night, but it’s going to be real close,” Berry said. 

Whether rain will persist into the weekend depends on whether the cold front stalls out over the region or moves on, Berry said. A stalled front would mean lingering rain chances through the weekend, but he said what won’t last long are the cooler temperatures. 

Highs on Saturday could be around 80 degrees, Berry said.