Strong Storms, Heavy Rain Moving Into Louisiana Today and Wednesday
(KMDL-FM) It is a battle that has been played out since the beginning of time. The forces of nature regarding climate are once again set to do battle. And is the custom in many of these air mass clashes, Louisiana and the Gulf South are the battleground.
As most of you can attest, Louisiana has been mainly hot and humid for the past four or so months. An approaching cold front would like to change Louisiana's atmospheric makeup just a little. By just a little, we mean bringing in some slightly cooler air and covering the area with air that is less humid.
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As is the case with most large battles, there will be some fireworks before all is said and done. The fireworks in this case will manifest as thunderstorms. According to the Storm Prediction Center, some of those storms, especially on Wednesday, could be close to or above the threshold for a severe thunderstorm.
Since a lot of us didn't go to weather school, the National Weather Service defines a "Severe Thunderstorm" as a storm that produces quarter-sized hail or larger and wind gusts of 58 miles per hour or more. The SPC says there is a Marginal Risk across all of Louisiana on Wednesday for those kinds of storms to materialize.
What Parts of Louisiana are at Risk For Flooding and Severe Storms?
The extreme northern and northwestern sections of the state could experience severe weather as soon as this afternoon or evening. But the majority of the state will be at risk for strong to severe storms on Wednesday.
The other function of a potential storm outbreak is flooding. Forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center tell us that there will be a Marginal Risk for excessive rain during the day on Wednesday for almost all of Louisiana.
Excessive Rain is when rain is falling at a rate higher than a drainage system's capacity to drain. In the Lafayette area, we see that a lot on Ambassador Caffery Parkway. It's usually a lot of standing water that snarls traffic and eventually drains away after the rain has stopped.
How Much Colder Will It Be Once the Cold Front Moves Through Louisiana?
The good news portion of the cold front scenario is cooler temperatures for Thursday and Friday, and less humidity, too. If we are fortunate, we should hold on to that "chamber of commerce" weather through the weekend. But there will be a few stormy days to navigate before we get to that.
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