New Orleans weather

[Pop Light Brown]

Happy New Year folks.

Looks like 2010 will go out on a stormy note and that's how 2011 will come in also. A tornado watch has just been issued for all of SE Louisiana and all of southern Mississippi except Wilkinson County until 7 pm. It's been raining off and on most of the day.

Weather Conditions as of Noon New Year's Eve:

HAMMOND
Thunderstorm in the area, 68°
Humidity 100%
Pressure 29.92 inches
Wind SE 8 mph
Visibility 5 miles

BATON ROUGE
Light Rain, 72°
Wind S 9 mph

McCOMB, MS
Cloudy 68°
Wind S 16 mph, Gusting to 21 mph

BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
66°, Cloudy
Wind SSE 12 mph, Gusting to 23 mph

GULFPORT, MS
Cloudy, 64°
Wind SE 16 mph

KEESLER AFB-BILOXI, MS
Cloudy, 67°
Wind SE 18 mph, Gusting to 30 mph

PASCAGOULA, MS
Cloudy, 66°
Wind SE 16 mph, Gusting to 25

SLIDELL
Cloudy, 68°
Wind SE 12 mph, Gusting to 21 mph

NEW ORLEANS-LAKEFRONT ARPT
Cloudy, 72°
Wind SE 15 mph

NEW ORLEANS INT'L
Light Rain, 72°
Wind SE 16 mph

BELLE CHASSE
Cloudy, 73°
Wind SE 16 mph, Gusting to 26 mph

BOOTHVILLE
Light Rain, 73°
Wind SE 20 mph, Gusting to 33 mph

GALLIANO
Sunny with haze, 77°
Wind SE 18 mph, Gusting to 28 mph

HOUMA
Mostly Cloudy, 75°
Wind SSE 17 mph


FORECAST FOR FRANKLINTON, LA
This Afternoon: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. South wind around 5 mph becoming north. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.

New Year's Day: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 54 by 5pm. North wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind around 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind around 10 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 27.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

[Zach]

Forecast for 1/8 into 1/9

[Pop Light Brown]

Cold weather (by SE Louisiana standards) are in store for much of the week. Hard freeze warnings are in effect for the Florida Parishes (areas north and west of Lake Pontchartrain), SW and SE Mississippi. Freeze warnings are in effect for areas south of Lake Pontchartrain away from the coast, including New Orleans and Houma.

Conditions as of 10 pm Tuesday
New Orleans-Audubon Park
Clear, 41°
No wind report

New Orleans Int'l Arpt
Clear, 41°
Wind North 14 mph

New Orleans-Lakefront Arpt
Clear, 42°
Wind North 22 mph

Slidell
Clear, 32°
Wind Calm

Belle Chasse
Clear, 41°
Wind North 9 mph

Baton Rouge
Clear, 35° (Wind chill 27°)
Wind North 12 mph

Boothville
Partly cloudy, 42°
Wind North 10 mph, Gusting to 20

Houma
Clear, 38° (32°)
Wind Northwest 10 mph

Hammond
Clear, 36° (29°)
Wind North 10 mph

McComb
Clear, 31° (25°)
Wind Northwest 6 mph

Gulfport
Clear, 34° (29°)
Wind Northwest 6 mph

Biloxi
Clear, 36° (29°)
Wind North 10 mph

Pascagoula
Clear, 34° (30°)
Wind North 5 mph

TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING
Clear, breezy, and cold. Lows north of the lake around 23 with a hard freeze and south of the lake around 28 with a light freeze. It will feel like teens & low 20s. Wind N 12-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY
Lots of sunshine, breezy, and cold. Highs around 44, but it will feel like 30s. Wind N/NW 12-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear, breezy, and cold. Lows north of the lake around 20 with a hard freeze and south of the lake around 27 with a light to moderate freeze. It will feel like teens & low 20s. Wind N/NE 10-18 mph.

THURSDAY
Partly cloudy and chilly. Highs around 45. Wind N 6-12 mph.

FRIDAY
Partly cloudy and chilly. Cold lows north of the lake around 23 with a hard freeze and cold south of the lake around 29 with a light freeze. Highs around 51.

SATURDAY
Partly cloudy and cool. Cold lows north of the lake around 27 with a moderate freeze and south of the lake around 35 with patchy frost. Highs around 60.

SUNDAY
Clouds & sunshine and mild with a 20% chance for isolated showers. Lows north of the lake around 35 with patchy frost and south of the lake around 40. Highs around 64.

[Pop Light Brown]

A rainy night in southeast Louisiana as a cool front moves through the area. It's not much of a cool front as temps will only drop a few degrees.

1 am Central conditions

HAMMOND
Cloudy, 68°
Wind SW 10 mph

BATON ROUGE
Cloudy, 69°
Wind SW 6 mph

McCOMB
Cloudy, 66°
Wind W 5 mph

SLIDELL
Cloudy, 70°
Wind Var 7 mph Gusts to 17 mph

BAY SAINT LOUIS
No Report

GULFPORT
Partly Cloudy, 69°
Wind SW 9 mph

BILOXI
Partly Cloudy, 67°
Wind SW 15 mph

PASCAGOULA
Partly Cloudy, 67°
Wind Var 3 mph

NEW ORLEANS - LAKEFRONT
No Report

KENNER (NEW ORLEANS INT'L)
Mostly Cloudy, 71°
Wind SW 14 mph Gusts to 24 mph

BELLE CHASSE
Partly Cloudy, 70°
Wind SW 17 mph Gusts to 26 mph

HOUMA
Cloudy
Wind S 10 mph Gusts to 18 mph

GALLIANO
Clear, 72°
Wind S 16 mph Gusts to 26 mph

BOOTHVILLE
Clear, 69°
Wind S 15 mph Gusts to 25 mph

THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING
Mostly cloudy, mild, and muggy with a 50% chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms. Dense fog possible. Lows around 64. Wind S/SW 6-12 mph.

FRIDAY
Morning fog possible and a 20% chance for a morning shower ending mid morning. Becoming partly cloudy, mild, and a bit less humid in the afternoon & evening. Highs around 74. Evening temps in 60s falling to 50s. Wind NW/N 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY NIGHT
Partly cloudy, cooler, and less humid. Patchy late-night light fog possible. Lows north of the lake around 46 and south of the lake around 53. Wind NE/E 3-5 mph.

SATURDAY
Clouds & sunshine, mild, and not as humid. Highs around 72. Evening temps in 60s. Wind E/SE 6-12 mph.

SUNDAY
Morning fog possible, then mostly cloudy, breezy, mild, and muggy with a 20% chance for isolated showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 61. Highs around 76. Evening temps falling from 70s to the 60s.

MONDAY
Morning fog possible, then mostly cloudy, breezy, mild, and muggy with a 40% chance for a few scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the morning and early afternoon. Lows around 64. Highs around 76.

TUESDAY
Mostly clear, mild, and less humid. Lows north of the lake around 44 and south of the lake around 50. Highs around 69.

[Pop Light Brown]

Mardi Gras festivities went out on a somewhat wet note - depending on where you are - and the Lenten season got off to a VERY stormy start.

Clusters and lines of severe thunderstorms paraded across the area yesterday afternoon across the Northshore Tuesday afternoon and across areas south of Lake Pontchartrain and southeastern Mississippi overnight and this morning. Several tornadoes were reported and confirmed across the area:

Lacomb to Slidell and Bush, La.: Both tornadoes were rated EF2s
Biloxi and near Long Beach, Miss.: Both tornadoes rated EF1s.

People also reported tornadoes in Kenner and Lafitte, La. The NWS is still trying to decide if tornadoes struck the area. New Orleans Int'l Airport recorded a 77 mph wind gust and set a daily rainfall record with 3.83 inches. Four to six inches of rain was common north of the lake while three to five inches were common south of the lake.

Some stories from The Times-Picayune and The Biloxi Sun Herald:

http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2011/03/ash_wednesday_rainstorm_floods.html
http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2011/03/severe_weather_jostles_north_s.html
http://www.sunherald.com/2011/03/08/2927725/trailer-destroyed-by-winds.html

[Pop Light Brown]

It's been awfully warm and dry across the area, worsening drought conditions, Here's the latest drought statement from NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge:

...DROUGHT CONDITIONS SPREADING ACROSS THE GULF COAST...

SYNOPSIS...
AFTER A WET MONTH OF MARCH...APRIL HAS BECOME VERY DRY WITH MANY
LOCATIONS REPORTING WELL BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS THUS
FAR.

THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERABLY WORSE IN THE WESTERN PART
OF LOUISIANA BUT APPEAR TO BE EXPANDING STEADILY ALONG THE COASTAL
PARISHES OF LOUISIANA AND EXTENDING ALONG THE MISSSISSIPPI COASTAL
COUNTIES.

THE UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR HAS PLACED MUCH OF TERREBONNE
PARISH AND LOWER ASSUMPTION PARISH IN D2 - SEVERE DROUGHT
CLASSIFICATION. ADDITIONALLY...ALL OF HANCOCK...HARRISON...JACKSON
COUNTIES ALONG WITH THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF PEARL RIVER COUNTY
HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED WITH A D2 -SEVERE DROUGHT. THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ARE CLASSIFIED AS D0
-ABNORMALLY DRY TO D1 -MODERATE DROUGHT.

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
IN WESTERN LOUISIANA...FOUR PARISHES THAT BORDER TEXAS HAVE BEEN
DECLARED DISASTER AREAS BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
NO KNOWN IMPACTS HAVE BEEN INDICATED IN THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
PARISHES OR THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES. TOPSOIL MOISTURE
CONDITIONS ARE INDICATED TO BE ADEQUATE TO SOMEWHAT SHORT GOING
INTO THE PLANTING SEASON AND EARLY GROWING SEASON ACROSS SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND LOWER SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. PERSISTENCE OF RAINFALL
DEFICITS WILL LIKELY CAUSE TOPSOIL MOISTURE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY
SHORT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...
A FEW REPRESENTATIVE LOCATIONS DEPICTING THE UNUSUALY DRY
CONDITIONS ARE SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE...

LOCATION......RAINFALL.....NORMAL.......DEPARTURE....PERCENT
..............THRU APR....THRU APR30....FROM NORM....OF NORMAL

BATON ROUGE LA 14.37 IN....20.25 IN.....-05.88 IN......71%
MCCOMB MS......15.06 IN....24.62 IN.....-09.56 IN......61%
GALLIANO LA....14.13 IN....20.40 IN.....-06.27 IN......69%
DONALDSONVILLE 11.63 IN....20.82 IN.....-09.19 IN......56%
LIVINGSTON LA..14.54 IN....23.05 IN.....-08.51 IN......63%
N.O. AUDUBON... 7.84 IN....20.45 IN.....-12.61 IN......38%
N.O. INTL AP...16.57 IN....21.60 IN.....-03.61 IN......77%
BILOXI MS......10.46 IN....22.54 IN.....-12.08 IN......46%

RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACCUMULATED FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL THROUGH THE 22ND...
BATON ROUGE LA.....0.26 IN.
MCCOMB MS..........0.77 IN.
GALLIANO LA........0.40 IN.
DONALDSONVILLE.....0.79 IN.
LIVINGSTON LA......0.86 IN.
N.O. AUDUBON PARK..0.13 IN.
N.O. INTL AIRPORT..0.35 IN.
BILOXI MS..........0.49 IN.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
THE SHORT TERM FORECAST FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS INDICATES ONLY A
CHANCE OF RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT NEXT WEDNESDAY. A
RESUMPTION TO DRY CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO RETURN THROUGH
NEXT WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RUN MUCH ABOVE NORMAL
THROUGH WEDNESDAY THEN COOL TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS LATE NEXT WEEK
BEFORE WARMING TO ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS NEXT WEEKEND.

THE 30 DAY OUTLOOK FOR THE MID-GULF REGION CALLS FOR A GREATER
THAN 33 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH MAY.
THE OUTLOOK FOR PRECIPIATION IS EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE- NEAR- OR
BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL THROUGH MAY.

THE 3 MONTH OUTLOOK SHOWS A GREATER THAN 33 PERCENT CHANCE OF
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND 33 TO 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF BELOW
NORMAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH JULY.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS FORECAST IN A BROAD SWATH FROM THE OZARKS
EAST AND NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND
INTO PORTIONS OF THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. 5 DAY RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8
TO 10 INCHES ARE FORECAST IN THESES AREAS. IF THESE HIGH RAINFALL
TOTALS MATERIALIZE...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE FUNNELED
INTO THE OHIO AND THEN MISSISSIPPI RIVERS...CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT
INCREASE IN THE FORECAST CREST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EVEN AS
FAR SOUTH AS NEW ORLEANS. THESE RAINFALL IMPACTS WILL LIKELY BE
FELT THROUGH LATE APRIL AND EARLY MAY AS CRESTS MOVE SOUTHWARD.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST RIVER FORECASTS FOR UPDATES AS THIS
SITUATION UNFOLDS.

THE SHORTER REACH STREAMS IN THE AREA ARE RETURNING TO BASE FLOW
OR ALREADY AT LOW FLOWS.

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON MAY 5TH OR SOONER IF NECESSARY IN
RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.

Record highs will be tested today (89° at Audubon Park and Baton Rouge, 87° at Slidell and 88° at Gulfport, McComb and Armstrong Airport).

[Pop Light Brown]

MISSISSIPPI RIVER UPDATE

* Forty-four additional bays on the Bonnet Carre Spillway have been opened, bringing the total number to 72 of 350 bays opened. The Army Corps of Engineers' New Orleans district expects all 350 to be eventually opened. See the spillway cam on this link:
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/live_video_stream_from_the_mis.html

* Latest river stages


* Speaking of Morganza, there's still no decision on when it will open. If it opens, the river forecasts on the Atchafalaya River will be much higher than stated below.


CURRENT TEMPS


SEVEN DAY FORECAST

[Pop Light Brown]

Thirty-eight more bays were opened on the Bonnet Carre Spillway today, bringing the total to 110 of the 350 bays open.

[Pop Light Brown]

Why can't we get any rain down here? WWL-TV meteorologist Jonathan Myers gives a good analysis.

Analysis: Why so little rain and why that shouldn't change anytime soon

Jonathan Myers / Meteorologist

Strangely enough, with all the talk about the Mississippi River flooding, outside of the levees, the rest of us are experiencing drought conditions across SE LA and Coastal MS.

A burn ban has been put into place across Lafourche Parish. Also, across the metro area and back southwest into Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes (in areas that could see 5'-25' feet of water should the Morganza open!) and all the way northeast along the Mississippi Coast we are in an extreme drought.

The remainder of the area is under a severe drought, except northern portions of the Northshore, which are in a moderate drought.

Why have we been so dry? Well, a lot of the issue lies in La Nina. Since we have been in that general pattern over the past year, we've shut off much of the Pacific moisture that typically gives us our prolific rains.

Fair-weather high pressure, generally, has been established across the Gulf South, forcing any rainy systems to the north, into the water-logged mid and upper Mississippi Valley. Also, with the high in place, we've squelched any real chances of our typical afternoon thunderstorms. Rainfall deficits are running 6.3" on the year and 1.27" on the month at the Airport and things aren't looking up with rainfall forecast to continue to be below average for the next three months.

Some may talk about the couple of good-sized flooding rain events that we've had in the first half of the new year, but unfortunately, after having a very dry start to 2011 and ending 2010 over 10" of rain below average, it only really put a very small dent in our dry conditions.

Now, looking into the future, for hurricane season 2010, if this high pressure were to hold strongly overhead, storms could be pushed away from our area, although La Nina does usually provide for a greater number of storms.

Overall, this could be good and bad news... although it would keep us protected from the destructive effects of a tropical system, we still wouldn't be receiving the rain we so much need. What's actually expected this summer is that we could push to more neutral pattern. We'll have to see if this could finally begin to break down our dry conditions, allowing more rain and, perhaps, more tropical activity to come our way.

[Pop Light Brown]

It's official: The Morganza Spillway will open this weekend. All bays aren't expected to be open.

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
LOUISIANA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
902 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE
GOVERNORS OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

...EMERGENCY MESSAGE FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA...

AVOYELLES...POINT COUPEE...ST LANDRY...ST
MARTIN...IBERVILLE...IBERIA...ASSUMPTION...ST
MARY...TERREBONNE...LAFOURCHE

DUE TO THE HIGH WATER IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...THE U S ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THEY WILL OPEN THE
MORGANZA SPILLWAY WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. FLOODING WILL OCCUR
IN THE SPILLWAY AND LOW LYING AREAS IN AND AROUND THE ATCHAFALAYA
RIVER BASIN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. CITIZENS SHOULD PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO INFORMATION FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS AND THE MEDIA FOR
UPDATES AND FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

[Pop Light Brown]

To sum things up: It's too hot and too dry. A tropical disturbance that tracked across Florida will stay off the Louisiana coast, leaving us rainless. Many records were smashed today across the region and more are forecast to be broken both Thursday and Friday.

Below is an NWS graphic showing the records:

[Pop Light Brown]

More record highs Thursday:

Baton Rouge 103° (tying the all-time June record)
New Orleans Int'l 98°
New Orleans - Audubon Park 100°
Slidell 97°
McComb, Miss. 103°
Hattiesburg, Miss. 102°

Heat advisories are in effect for the entire region except coastal Mississippi and southern sections of coastal Louisiana parishes until 7 pm Friday. Near record highs are forecast for Friday also.

[Pop Light Brown]

Enough with the heat!!

[Pop Light Brown]

Hot! Hot! Hot! That's the name of the game in the area and has been for weeks. Some good news: It looks like the pattern is about to shift starting this weekend. The high that's been keeping us hot and dry is moving eastward and by next week, our daily afternoon thunderstorms should return.

Heat Advisories are in effect through 7 pm for the entire area.

Noon temperatures:

Hammond
91° (Heat Index 105°), no sky condition

McComb
91° (99°), Mostly Sunny

Slidell
92° (98°), Mostly Sunny

Bay St. Louis
91° (100°), Mostly Sunny

Gulfport
No report

Biloxi
90° (101°), Sunny

Pascagoula
No report

New Orleans - Lakefront
93° (102°), Mostly Sunny

New Orleans - Audubon
No report

New Orleans Int'l
93° (102°), Mostly Sunny

Belle Chasse
92° (99°), Mostly Sunny

Galliano
91° (102°), Mostly Sunny

Boothville
89° (97°), Sunny

Port Fourchon
88° (97°), Mostly Sunny

Baton Rouge
90° (99°), Partly Sunny

REGIONAL FORECAST FROM WWL-TV

SATURDAY
REC. KENNER 96, AUDUBON 98
Partly cloudy, hot, and humid with a 10% chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Record highs around 96, but it will feel like 100-110. Wind S/SW 8-15 mph.

SATURDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear, mild, and muggy. Lows around 77. Wind S/SW Around 5 mph.

FATHER'S DAY
REC. KENNER 99, AUDUBON 100
Mostly clear, hot, and humid with a 10% chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Highs around 96, but it will feel like 100-110. Wind S/SW 8-15 mph.

MONDAY
REC. KENNER 97, AUDUBON 99
Partly cloudy, hot, and humid with a 10% chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Lows around 77. Near record highs around 96, but it will feel like 100-110.

TUESDAY
REC. KENNER 96, AUDUBON 100
Clouds & sunshine, breezy, hot, and humid with a 20% chance for isolated showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 78. Highs around 94, but it will feel like 95-105.

WEDNESDAY
REC. KENNER 96, AUDUBON 102
Clouds & sunshine, breezy, hot, and humid with a 30% chance for spotty showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 77. Highs around 92, but it will feel like 95-100.

THURSDAY
Mostly cloudy, hot, and humid with a 40% chance for a few scattered showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 76. Highs around 90.

FRIDAY
Mostly cloudy, very warm, and humid with a 50% chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 74. Highs around 88.

[twcfan68]

I just moved out of NOLA, but the weather in Lafayette isn't much different. I watch the Baton Rouge news, and one of the meteorologists there said that we may not get as much rain as we hoped for next week. We're not supposed to be begging for rain in south Louisiana during the summer. What is going on, Mother Nature?