Opelousas, Louisianna 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

518
FXUS64 KLCH 181103
AFDLCH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
503 AM CST Sat Jan 18 2025

...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE...

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Tuesday night)

Wx map shows warm front moving northward across the region, with
the strong cold front now pushing southward across North Texas to
Southeast Oklahoma. Across our region, southwesterly winds around
5-10 mph, keeping temperatures in the lower to mid 60s, with dewpoints
in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Radar showing a band of showers across
the coastal waters into Cameron & Vermilion parishes.

For today, the strong cold front expected to move through the region,
with northwest winds around 10 to 15 mph expected. Colder and drier
air to overtake the region, ending the precipitation. Temperatures
nearly steady in the lower to mid 60s through late morning, falling
into the 50s by the afternoon. For tonight, winds expected to increase
and temperatures decrease as stronger cold air advection expected.
Sunday morning lows expected in the upper 20s to lower 30s across
Inland Southeast Texas and Central Louisiana, mid to upper 30s
elsewhere. Due to the stronger northerly winds around 15 mph north
of I-10, 15-20 mph further south, lowest wind chill temperatures
of 18-25 degrees expected. Thus, the first Cold Weather Advisory
is issued for all of Central and Southern Louisiana, Southeast
Texas from 3 AM to 9 AM Sunday.

For the remainder of Sunday, clear skies and windy conditions,
with the continued cold air advection keeping afternoon highs only
in the lower to mid 40s. For Sunday night into Monday morning, a
hard freeze is expected for most areas. Lower 20s along and north
of the U.S. 190 corridor, mid 20s along the I-10 corridor, with
upper 20s along the coastal parishes and counties. With the
continued northerly winds around 5 to 10 mph, Monday morning
minimum wind chill temperatures from 12 to 17 degrees expected.
The second Cold Weather Advisory issued for all of Central and
Southern Louisiana, Southeast Texas from 9 PM Sunday through Noon
Monday.

With the entire U.S. entrenched in the large mid to upper level trough,
a shortwave rounding the base of the trough over Northern Mexico
is expected to move rapidly eastward Monday afternoon and evening.
This is expected to generate a surface low across the Western
Gulf of Mexico along the front, and move east northeast Monday
night into Tuesday. This surface low is expected to increase
clouds by Monday afternoon. The clouds, coupled with the continued
cold air advection, will limit afternoon highs in the upper 30s
to near 40. By the evening hours, winter precipitation is expected
to begin across Southeast Texas, Central and Southwest Louisiana,
with a mixture of snow, sleet and possible freezing rain. Still
some uncertainty this far out, but probabilities continue to
increase, especially for heavy snowfall. By Midnight, moisture
and lift to increases markedly, with snow the most likely weather
element expected. With the signal continuing to increase for a
winter storm possible, after coordination with our neighbors to
the east, went ahead and issued a Winter Storm Watch from 12 AM
Tuesday through 12 AM Wednesday. Preliminary snowfall totals (want
to emphasize preliminary and numbers can go up and down this far
out), are 5-7" north of I-10, 3-5" south of I-10 across the entire
area. Our criteria for Winter Storm was lower to 1" of snow due
to the impacts across this region of the country, with many
bridges to consider.

As the surface low moves across the Central and Eastern Gulf of
Mexico Tuesday evening, expect the winter precipitation to end
from west to east as well. Clearing skies and winds expected to go
calm as the center of the cold frigid high settles over the
region. Depending on the amount of snow amounts that occurs, it
is expected most if not all of the area will have some degree of
snowpack continuing. Thus, the coldest air of the season with mid
to upper teens by daybreak Wednesday.

08/DML

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday through Saturday)

After the frigid start Wednesday, afternoon highs not much better
with mid to upper 30s expected. Another hard freeze expected
Wednesday night into Thursday morning with lows in the lower to
mid 20s. Highs in the mid 40s expected Thursday with increasing
clouds by afternoon. Blended guidance shows low end rain chances
by Friday for the I-10 corridor south. Temperatures possibly
reaching the freezing mark, but too soon to tell if any frozen
precipitation possible. Warming trend expected by Saturday.

08/DML

&&

.MARINE...

Modest onshore flow will continue this morning, before a strong cold
front moves across the coastal waters during the afternoon. Scattered
showers are expected ahead of the front. Behind the front, a much
colder air mass will move in and allow for strong and gusty
northerly winds to develop and persist through the middle of next
week. Small Craft Advisories in effect for all coastal waters
through Monday evening. A surface low is expected to develop
Monday across the Western Gulf of Mexico along the front, and move
east northeast Monday night into Tuesday, allowing for stronger
winds Monday night into Tuesday, with Gale conditions possible.
This surface low will also generate widespread precipitation. With
the cold air expected Monday night into Tuesday, a mixture of
rain, freezing rain, and snow is likely across the inland lakes
and bays, and coastal waters out 20 nautical miles, with rain most
likely across the 20 to 60 nautical mile zones.

08/DML

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX  64  32  43  21 /   0   0   0   0
LCH  66  36  46  25 /   0   0   0   0
LFT  71  39  47  26 /  10   0   0   0
BPT  65  34  46  26 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...Winter Storm Watch from late Monday night through Tuesday
     evening for LAZ027>033-044-045-055-073-074-141>143-152>154-
     241>243-252>254.

TX...Winter Storm Watch from late Monday night through Tuesday
     evening for TXZ180-201-259>262-515-516-615-616.

GM...Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to midnight CST
     Monday night for GMZ430-432-435-436-450-452-455-470-472-475.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...08
LONG TERM....08
AVIATION...08