Louisiana Storm Threat Increases as Tropical System Spins in Gulf

Residents of Louisiana and the northern Gulf Coast who have been decimated by the unrelenting drought of 2023 are finally seeing some relief on the horizon. Unfortunately, that horizon is looking south over the Gulf of Mexico and the answer to our drought prayers might come in the form of another well-known weather woe for Louisiana, a tropical weather system.

The drought conditions over most of Louisiana are about as bad as they can be. The tropical outlook from the National Hurricane Center is actually promising in a positive way. As of now, forecasters don't think an area of low pressure that is currently spinning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico will spin up into anything more than a rain producer.

Which would be exactly what we'd need that system to be. However, the problem with rainfall over an area of land affected by drought is runoff. For Louisiana to really get the most bang for our rainfall buck with this system we'd need a good soaking rain and not periods of heavy downpours.

As of now, the forecast models are suggesting the heaviest rainfall from this weather system will fall in southeastern Louisiana and points to the east. However, some of the forecast models do call for a quarter of an inch to half an inch of rainfall across many portions of the I-10 corridor. Of course, the further east you travel the more likely you are to see heavier rain and rainfall amounts.

Now that doesn't mean there won't be localized areas in South Louisiana that pick up an inch or maybe more of precipitation as the storm system moves through. Our best chances for rain will begin late tonight, most likely after midnight.

The threat of showers on Wednesday will be high for most of the day. Forecasters with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Lake Charles have given the Lafayette area a 70% chance of rain and storms during the day on Wednesday and into the evening. The threat of rain relaxes just a bit for Thursday.

Another frontal system will push through the area by the end of the week. That should make for sunny skies for Saturday and Sunday and some of the coolest temperatures of the season that we've experienced so far. That means gumbo pots will again be out in force. And just to make sure you do your gumbo right.