LOUISIANA WEATHER 03-08-10

 

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: Monday will be cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon increasing to an 80 percent chance of rain and with possibly a thunderstorm during the evening. Tuesday through Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a 30 to 40 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms both days and mostly cloudy with a 20 percent of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday evening. Wednesday evening will be mostly clear. Thursday to Saturday will be sunny to mostly sunny each day and clear to partly cloudy during the evenings.
Temperatures: Monday: 62/55, Tuesday: 71/58, Wednesday: 71/49, Thursday: 74/52, Friday: 68/44, Saturday: 64/40
HAZARDOUS WEATHER: Today and tonight, an approaching Gulf warm front will bring about rain with a few embedded thunderstorms by this afternoon. Rain will be ongoing during the evening hours as the warm front moves through the western upper Gulf Coast states. Rain will taper off becoming more scattered after midnight. Tuesday through Sunday, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible on Tuesday as the air column slowly destabilizes across the area. Severe weather is possible by early afternoon Wednesday with the approach of a Texas cold front. Showers and thunderstorms will organize in lines as damaging winds are the primary threat. Showers and thunderstorms will be coming to an end from west to east by Wednesday evening as the cold front exits into Southeast Louisiana.

The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City is currently at 4.79 feet (minor flood stage). The river is expected to stabilize on Monday evening at approximately 4.7feet. Flood stage is 4 to 7 feet. At 4 to 5 feet, water may move up the bank and across access roads below the city dock. Floodwall gates should be closed by the 5 foot stage to protect against higher stages. Vessel traffic will be affected by stronger river current and vessel traffic safety rules will be strictly enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard. The impact on river side industry will lessen as the river begins to recede.

SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA: Monday will be partly sunny during the day and increasing to a 60 percent chance of showers mainly after midnight. Tuesday through Wednesday will be mostly cloudy to cloudy with a 70 to 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms both days and cloudy with an 80 percent of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday evening decreasing to a 40 percent chance of showers before midnight on Wednesday evening. Thursday to Saturday will be mostly sunny each day and partly cloudy during the evenings.
Temperatures: Monday: 69/55, Tuesday: 67/60, Wednesday: 74/54, Thursday: 73/49, Friday: 68/47, Saturday: 64/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER: No hazardous weather to report.

CENTRAL LOUISIANA: Monday will be mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain increasing to an 80 percent chance of rain and with possibly a thunderstorm during the evening. Tuesday through Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a 30 to 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms during the day and mostly to partly cloudy with a 20 to 40 percent of scattered showers and thunderstorms during the evenings. Thursday to Saturday will be sunny to mostly sunny each day and clear to partly cloudy during the evenings.
Temperatures: Monday: 61/51, Tuesday: 71/57, Wednesday: 73/48, Thursday: 74/48, Friday: 66/44, Saturday: 62/40
HAZARDOUS WEATHER: Today and tonight, an approaching Gulf warm front will bring about rain with a few embedded thunderstorms by this afternoon. Rain will be ongoing during the evening hours as the warm front moves through the western upper Gulf Coast states. Rain will taper off becoming more scattered after midnight. Tuesday through Sunday, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible on Tuesday as the air column slowly destabilizes across the area. Severe weather is possible by early afternoon Wednesday with the approach of a Texas cold front. Showers and thunderstorms will organize in lines as damaging winds are the primary threat. Showers and thunderstorms will be coming to an end from west to east by Wednesday evening as the cold front exits into Southeast Louisiana.

The Calcasieu River near Glenmora is currently at 13.28 feet (minor flood stage). Flood stage is 12 to 16 feet. The river is expected to slowly recede through the next few days. Between 12 and 14 feet, some roads upstream from Glenmora, including Strothers crossing road near the community of Calcasieu and Price Crossing Road near Hineston have water on them and are subject to being closed. Flooding of forested areas near the river may occur.

NORTHERN LOUISIANA: Monday will be mostly cloudy with a 90 percent chance of rain with possibly a thunderstorm both today and the evening. Tuesday through Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a 40 to 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms during the day and mostly to partly cloudy with a 20 to 40 percent of scattered showers and thunderstorms during the evening. Thursday through Saturday will be sunny to mostly cloudy to mostly sunny each day and partly to mostly cloudy during the evenings.
Temperatures: Monday: 65/55, Tuesday: 74/56, Wednesday: 71/48, Thursday: 70/48, Friday: 61/45, Saturday: 61/43
HAZARDOUS WEATHER: Today and tonight, a surface low will also lift out into the plains with a trailing frontal system dropping south across Texas. A warm front will branch off the surface front and reach southeast across South Texas into the Western Gulf of Mexico this morning. By this evening the warm front will be lifting northeast into West Central Louisiana and by late tonight into North Central Louisiana. With abundant moisture and upper disturbances moving overhead, expect widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms are to develop and continue to spread over the region. Rainfall may be locally heavy at times and produce ponding of water in streets and low lying and poor drainage areas. There could be an isolated occurrence of severe weather but no organized hazardous weather is expected at this time.

Bodcau Bayou at Bayou Bodcau Lake is currently at 177.83 feet (minor flood stage). Minor flood stage is between 172 and 192 feet. The bayou is expected to slowly recede over the next few days. Between 170 to192 feet, expect minor lowland flooding along the lake. Red Chute Bayou below the lake may be at bank full. Some secondary roadways may suffer flooding.