This weekend will be just another typical summer weekend as the dry air retreats hastily back to the north. Tropical moisture will build over the weekend and with the daytime heating, expect scattered showers and thunderstorms from midday through the afternoon and ending by 7:00pm. At press time it looks like rain coverage tomorrow will be concentrated mainly over the coastal parishes and from Lafayette on westward, with more widespread coverage on Sunday. A strong upper level system that will produce severe weather over the nation’s midsection this weekend will approach the region Monday igniting strong storms and locally heavy rainfall. The storms Monday may approach severe limits so be on the lookout. Tuesday through Thursday look great with drier and cooler conditions. I expect highs to suppressed into the mid-80s while overnight lows drop into mid-, possibly the lower 60s!Â
Keep your fingers crossed. The tropics remain well-behaved in the Caribbean and Gulf basins and the long range models keep it that way through October 1st. If we can make it through the first week or two into October we’ll be in great shape as the threat of tropical activity in the northern Gulf of Mexico diminishes greatly. Thank you El Nino!Â
Rob Perillo