Louisiana to Face Even More Heat Heading into Weekend

Heat and humidity are not strangers to Louisiana's lifestyle. In fact, heat and humidity probably have played a larger part in developing our state's joie de vivre than any other outside influence could have. It's the reason we like to "come out at night" and why we have invented so many refreshing drinks too.

And while we tolerate the heat, we don't like it. And we especially don't like it when it gets hotter than it's supposed to get, which is what almost all of Louisiana has experienced over the past two months.

As we sit on the cusp of the final weekend in July, let's take a look back to last month, June. Do you recall how hot it got in June?

That graphic provided by the National Weather Service Office in Lake Charles tells the tale of the days leading up to July, which I think will be even hotter for many reporting stations than June was.

The heat has been especially brutal in cities such as Lafayette, Alexandria, and New Iberia. As you can see those cities spent almost every day in June dealing with afternoon temperatures in the middle 90s. And July has not been that different as far as temperatures have gone.

And yes, the high temperatures have caused their share of medical issues for Louisiana residents as well. Make sure you know how to tell the difference between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. It could help save a life.

Today's forecast does not include a heat advisory, yet. That could still happen. If you're wondering what is the criteria for a "heat advisory" it's basically this, according to the National Weather Service.

The general rule of thumb for this Advisory is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 100° or higher for at least 2 days, and night time air temperatures will not drop below 75°; however, these criteria vary across the country, especially for areas that are not used to dangerous heat conditions.

Fortunately, most of Louisiana has been getting a bit of a break in the nighttime temperatures but those low temperatures are starting to climb closer to 80 degrees as we move into the weekend. Forecasts expect afternoon heat indices to once again top 105 degrees later today and each day next week could bring about "feels like" readings well into the triple-digits.

When Will Louisiana's Heat Wave Break?

Not anytime soon or not soon enough or probably not for at least another two weeks, how are those for some soul-crushing answers? Louisiana could be well into the middle of August and back to school before afternoon high temperatures do not reach 95 degrees. In fact, the closest date listed in the long-range forecast that shows an afternoon temperature of below 95 is August 11th.

And don't expect there to be a lot of rainfall during the next two weeks either. Forecasters say precipitation amounts will be close to normal as we move into August but August is one of our state's driest months historically speaking.

So, hot and getting hotter, dry and getting drier, that's the basic outlook for the next couple of weeks. Prepare yourself now because the only thing bigger than the numbers on your thermometer will be the numbers on your power bill. Maybe a cold drink would be a good idea?