NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — It's been a hot week for this time of year and that is not going to end before Friday. Look for another day with mid to upper 80s Thursday followed by mid 80s Friday with a few passing showers possible each day. The big question heading into the weekend will be the pattern setting up and the influence it has on Rafael. Right now there are two major camps. One is that the storm continues to move west and stays well to our south. That is the official hurricane center forecast at the moment. This would give us a warm and mostly dry weekend. The other potential is that a trough from the west moves in sooner and lifts Rafael north. This would mean it's a system close to the coast with blustery conditions. We would not see any major tropical issues from this, but it would lead to a wetter and cooler weekend. Right now it's just too early to tell which way this goes. Continue to stay with WGNO on air and online for the latest. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Staying warm through Friday St. Tammany Parish crash leaves pedestrian dead Trump builds on Latino support, helping pave way to victory Trump carries all Rio Grande Valley border counties Louisiana House Elections: GOP holds majority, Democrats secure key seats