Forecasters Offer Timing For Louisiana Severe Weather Threat

No matter which weather forecaster you speak with or which weather-related website you check, they are all in agreement that Louisiana residents will experience strong to severe thunderstorms over the next 24 hours. The Storm Prediction Center has placed almost all of Louisiana at risk for severe storms beginning later this afternoon, through the evening, and into the early hours of Friday morning.

The graphic above, from the Storm Prediction Center, suggests that the northwestern corner of Louisiana will be at a greater risk for big storms and possible tornadoes than those who live along the I-10 corridor might be. Still, regardless of where you live in Louisiana tonight or early Friday, you could experience torrential downpours, frequent lightning, damaging winds, possible hail, and even tornadic thunderstorms.

Here is when forecasters anticipate the worst of the weather will arrive.

Residents of Shreveport and surrounding cities could begin to experience strong thunderstorms as early as 4 pm this afternoon. The heaviest rain and storms are forecast to move through the northwestern parishes before 1 am Friday morning. The Weather Prediction Center has placed a portion of northern and central Louisiana at risk for an excessive rainfall event during the early morning hours of Friday.

Residents of Lake Charles and Lafayette will begin to see an uptick in shower and thunderstorm activity much later in the evening tonight. In fact, forecasters with the National Weather Service Office in Lake Charles are suggesting the big storms won't enter the picture in southwest Louisiana until midnight or a few hours later.

The Lafayette area will likely experience its worst weather with this system just as the sun is beginning to rise on Friday morning. The graphic below from KATC Television suggests via the GRAF Model that showers and storms will still be moving through Lafayette and the heart of Acadiana at 7 am Friday.

The good news is that once the storms have moved through most of the residual rainfall left behind should move out of the area by 1 pm. Temperatures behind the frontal system that is kicking off all of these storms will become much cooler as we progress through the day on Friday. Winds will also be gusting from the north at 15 to 20 mph with higher gusts expected. 

Friday night activities should not be affected by falling precipitation. Those heading to Downtown Lafayette for Patty in the Parc should expect dry conditions with cooler temperatures. Temperatures will be in the low 50s to upper 40s for Friday night's event in Parc International.