KATC StormTeam 3 Weather BLOG

The high heat continued today with the high of 100 in Lafayette tying the record set back in 1930 while New Iberia reached the highest on record on this date of 101.  At least dew points were slightly lower this afternoon keeping heat indices in the 104-108 range.  Tomorrow into the weekend will bring high temperatures down a degree or two as the gradient surface wind should allow for a weak afternoon sea-breeze that should limit our highs, especially along and south of the I-10 corridor.  Highs may still top out near or slightly above 100 across northern portions of Acadiana over the next few days but will likely be closer to the upper 90s for most of us.  Rain chances will likely stay no better than 5% through Sunday.  The humidity will likely increase into the weekend offsetting any relief from the actual temperatures so it looks like heat indices will stay in the 105-108 degree range through Sunday.  A frontal trough may approach Monday/Tuesday of next week possible sparking off a few storms but right now anything higher than 20% coverage would be more than optimistic.  Highs will be closer to the mid 90s next week while overnight lows drop a little into the mid-70s…perhaps lower 70s…so a little relief at night and with respect to humidity is possible.  But it looks like the ridge of high pressure will remain rather formidable across the area into the second week of July providing little in the way of anything more than an isolated shower or two.  So the drought likely to worsen…in fact the Drought Monitor has upped much of the area into a “Moderate Drought”…next stop “Severe Drought” which I think is the direction we’re heading in unless we start to see more active frontal boundaries by mid-July (not likely) or some tropical moisture surges (a little more likely as we head toward August).  I’ll be off Friday so have a good weekend.  Rob