The clear blue skies and abnormally dry weather forecast for today are bringing more than a pleasant first day for the University — they are warding off hurricanes.As of 2 p.m. Friday, a rare cold front was expected to come through Louisiana and bring sunshine and low humidity for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and possibly Tuesday, while the low-pressure system responsible for it is helping to push Hurricane Bill — and other potential hurricanes — away from the Gulf Coast, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby.”Even with a weak front like we’re expecting … That helps to push anything out of the Gulf of Mexico,” Grigsby said. “Hurricane Bill is being pushed [away] because of this lower-pressure system. If we continue in this type of pattern, that will keep other storms out.”Bill was expected to continue to move within the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida and come close to making landfall in Nova Scotia late Sunday or early this morning, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Tim Destri. Bill is forecast to make landfall as a Category 1 or a weak Category 2 hurricane.Other than Bill, Grigsby said nothing “well organized” is currently developing in the Gulf.While the cold front is not forecast to bring lower temperatures — with temperatures in the 90s expected to continue through the week — it is not an abnormal occurrence for mid-August,  Grigsby said. Grigsby, who has been with the National Weather Service in Slidell for six years, said he has seen two weak cold fronts come through Louisiana in August, including one bringing record lows in 2004.”In Baton Rouge, we had in 2004 a very strong front come through. We had six nights of record lows,” Grigsby said. “It’s going to be more of a dryer air mass that comes in, not a cooler air mass.”The six nights of record lows in 2004 began Aug. 13 and saw temperatures in the 50s and 60s, Grigsby said. Beginning Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, the weather in Louisiana will be back to “our normal summertime-type sea breezes,” possibly bringing scattered afternoon thunderstorms, Destri said.- – – -Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]