We’ll start 2007 on a much quieter and cooler note with lots of sunshine tomorrow and Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid-upper 50s over the next few days while lows drop into the upper 30s to lower 40s. Clouds will be returning on Wednesday and it looks to shape up to be a wet Thursday. The next weather-maker will likely bring the threat of heavy rains once again…but maybe not as intense of yesterday’s event. Nonetheless another 2-3†of rain will be likely, and with the grounds saturated and the rivers, bayous and coulees full, we might have some flood issues to deal with again. There will also be the possibility of severe weather with this system, but the threat may be confined closer to the coast or offshore, depending on where the low pressure system stacks up. Â
With Friday night’s/Saturday morning’s weather event, a surface meso-low pressure system developed along the squall line in SW Louisiana and this low produced the tornadic circulations across portions of Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion and St Landry Parishes. Yesterday’s rains of 4-8†regionally helped push Lafayette closer to the normal for the year.Â
We had some drought-oriented months this past spring, but the latter part of the summer through the fall brought above normal rains. So Lafayette wound up with rainfall about 10†below normal for the year…but we improved on 2005 and actually gained ground as we entered 2006 about 21†below normal. It is interesting to note, that areas across western Louisiana like Beauregard, Vernon and Sabine Parishes have received more than 40†of rain since October alone! We’ll get the year ending totals from that part of the state in the days tom come. Happy New Year!    Â