KATC StormTeam 3 Weather BLOG

Per the National Weather Service in Lake Charles…

430 PM CDT MON APR 17 2006
 

…NEAR RECORD TO RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED AGAIN TOMORROW…
 

A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA HAS BROUGHT UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN AVERAGING 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR MID APRIL…AND RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET AT BOTH ALEXANDRIA AND LAFAYETTE ON MONDAY.  

WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED TOMORROW…ADDITIONAL RECORD HIGHS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE BROKEN.
 

RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TUESDAY APRIL 17 2006 ARE AS FOLLOWS:
 

BEAUMONT       90 SET IN 1987
LAKE CHARLES   89 SET IN 1948
LAFAYETTE      89 SET IN 1987
NEW IBERIA     92 SET IN 1948
ALEXANDRIA     89 SET IN 1987
 

TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO COOL DOWN BY THE END OF THE WEEK…WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND.
 

Today the high in Lafayette was 93, which not only broke the record of 91 in 1925, but ties the all time high temperature recorded in April.  We’ve been that hot on a few earlier occasions, but we are talking records that go back to 1893.  As we mentioned on our earlier newscasts, it is always a hot summer in Southern Louisiana, but when you are pushing the mid-90s in April, your talking a very, very long summer.  Hopefully the pattern changes a little for next week.  The high pressure ridge in the region is forecast by the long range models to weaken significantly next week, but “hot and dry” usually brings more “hot and dry”.  So for right now we don’t put much stock into the long range models and we won’t put a dent in the drought, until we have at least two-three weeks of regular scattered showers and thunderstorms.  In addition, we also look toward the Gulf and Caribbean as we head into the summer for tropical moisture surges, but if you look at the latest satellite picture from that region, there is little promise there too.