Louisiana Facing Severe Storms Tuesday, Freeze on Wednesday

Over the weekend severe storms with heavy rains prompted watches and warnings from Monroe and Ruston along Louisiana's I-20 corridor to as far south as Eunice, Opelousas, and Port Barre located along U.S. 190. Fortunately, the severe storm outbreak was not as destructive in the state as it could have been.

But as is typical for this time of year, the next storm system is waiting in the wings and it we won't have to wait too long to feel its effects. Forecasters with the National Weather Service say another cold front is already moving across the country and should be affecting Louisiana's forecast by Tuesday afternoon.

The storm system is the first of two that will make its way across the state before next weekend. Here's what we can expect from Tuesday's weather event. The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a marginal possibility of severe storms during the day and more likely the evening hours of Tuesday.

As you can see in the graphic from the SPC, the heaviest of the storms will be confined to extreme southern Louisiana with mainly the I-10 corridor under the gun for the strongest of storms.

With those strong storms will come the possibility of excessive rain. The Weather Prediction Center has identified an area that closely resembles the same area of concern highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center. You can see the WPC graphic below.

An excessive rain event is when the rainfall rates exceed an area's ability to drain storm water away. You've seen examples of this on Ambassador Caffery Parkway in Lafayette following a heavy rain.

If there is some good news with Tuesday's storm system it would be that the worst of the weather is currently forecast to arrive during the nighttime and overnight hours. Hopefully, the storm system's timing will minimize traffic and school issues. But we should note that Wednesday will be much colder and it won't be warming up that much.

By early Thursday temperatures across South Louisiana will be at or below the freezing mark although they will moderate slightly ahead of the next storm system which will push into Louisiana during the day on Friday. We should note that temperatures are expected to drop and stay below the freezing mark for several hours late Wednesday and early Thursday morning.