KATC StormTeam 3 Weather BLOG

After a one day break from the rain and storms another active weather system is on the way and this one will produce more rain and introduce the possibility of  several severe weather threats.  In the near term, skies are clearing and cooler conditions are anticipated for tonight, but with light winds, residual ground moisture and temperatures approaching the dew point make for a fairly good argument for some patchy dense fog by morning.  Tomorrow should bring partly sunny skies and mild conditions after any morning fog but clouds will increase by late the day.  The next storm system will induce a warm front to develop in the Gulf tomorrow evening with showers and storms developing across the area Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.  There may be a severe weather threat with this front with rotating storms possible.  The atmosphere will further destabilize Thursday with several rounds of scattered showers and storms likely.  There may be a tornadic severe weather threat with the activity on Thursday.  Coverage of showers and storms Thursday is still questionable as the bulk of the upper energy will be lagging behind in Texas.  But that won’t be a question Thursday night into early Friday as the core of frontal trough approaches.  Another severe weather threat will develop ahead of this trough with damaging winds the primary mode of the potential severe weather.  Finally, it appears that rain and storms may follow behind the front, in concert with the upper trough which could add a few more inches of rain to the equation.  The bottom line is that Acadiana will likely see somewhere between 3-5 inches of rain between late Wednesday and Friday while the risk of severe weather will be a possibility during roughly between late Wednesday night and early Friday morning.  More flood and severe weather watches will be likely for the area so stay tuned…Some models have been lingering the rains through Friday afternoon/evening but the whole mess may come through a little sooner.  The weekend looks quite nice with mostly sunny and cool conditions lasting through mid-next week.  We’ll need the break. 

I have also tallied our rainfall through this month and the entire year.  After a relatively dry first six months of the year it has been quite wet with above nomral monthly rains in Lafayette every month since June with the exception of a near normal September.  So far, October 2009 is the 10th wettest October on record, not including the additional rainfall likely later this week which will surely give us a shot at the top 5.  Right now we stand at 9.76″ for the month but the all-time record is 18.27″ set back in 2002…hopefully that record stays safe!  Rob