Cold Front to Bring Threat of Severe Storms to Louisiana Today

As I read the headline on this narrative, "Cold Front to Bring Threat of Severe Storms to Louisiana Today" I find myself being less concerned with the threat of being blown away by a big storm and more intrigued that there might be an actual cold front pushing through Louisiana.

This summer has been brutal on Louisiana agricultural interests and those who just want their grass to be a greener shade of brown. Heck, did you see what the heat has done to some of our state's Christmas Tree farms? I certainly hope that won't mean even higher prices for live trees come late November and December.

I think we are all ready for the heat of summer to acquiesce into the brisk and crisp conditions of fall along the bayous. And today's forecast just might be "the calling card" of things to come in the next few weeks. But before we get cool and comfy things will likely be sweaty and bumpy, at least that's the way today is shaping up.

Much of southwest Louisiana is under a Heat Advisory again today. The area being warned is roughly from Highway 28 to the north, think Alexandria, and then south to the coast. The advisory extends about as far as the Atchafalaya Basin to the east. The advisory extends into Texas to the west.

So, the heat is confined to the southwest corner of the state for today as far as Louisiana is concerned. But that heat combined with an approaching frontal system will create the potential for strong to severe weather across much of that same area later today.

Here's the outline of where the worst of the weather is expected today according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Cities such as Shreveport/Bossier, Alexandria, Fort Johnson, Lake Charles, Lafayette, and perhaps Baton Rouge will want to be weather aware, especially this afternoon when the daytime heating combines with the warm Gulf air that's already in place to kick off storms. That potential for explosive thunderstorms will be exacerbated by a frontal system that is expected to drop into the area and slowly move toward the Gulf of Mexico.

That's what forecasters think the weather map will look like by Saturday afternoon. You'll note the dark green area in the extreme southwestern corner of the state. That's where some of the heavier showers are forecast during the day on Saturday.

Will Thunderstorms Affect High School Football in Louisiana Tonight?

The answer to that query is probably. No, not all games will be affected by rain and thunderstorms but there will be several that might have to go into weather delays or at least play a few downs with falling precipitation on the field.

According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Lake Charles the better chances of rain during the day today will come in the late afternoon and early evening hours. Unfortunately, that's right about kick-off time for most of tonight's games. The NWS suggests through their forecasts that the hours between 4 pm and midnight will be the most likely times for showers and storms.

As for the remainder of the weekend, Louisiana residents can expect a bit of a break from the humidity but temperatures will still be just a bit above normal but not in the triple digits. We should see "typical weather" for Louisiana for much of the next work week as temperatures will reach into the 90s during the day and there will be a chance of a pop-up shower or storm too.

And, if it doesn't rain? You can always do this.