Severe Weather Threat For South Louisiana Tonight And Sunday

All it takes is a step outside and you realize something is not quite right with the weather. Granted winter in Louisiana is usually mild. It's not supposed to be this mild or to be truthful, hot.

Record high temperatures have been reported across the state over the past few days and today might bring many more. It will also bring an approaching cold front and storm system into the picture and that's when things are going to get nasty.

The Storm Prediction Center gives much of our area a marginal chance for severe weather from late this evening through Sunday. The National Weather Service office in Lake Charles is forecasting the influence of a Pacific cold front to be felt in Southwest Louisiana by mid-morning on Sunday. If the forecast timing holds true the heaviest weather, including high winds and heavy thunderstorms, will be felt in Acadiana between Noon and 6 PM on Sunday.

The passage of this front will bring cooler weather to the area for the start of the work week. However, this is a Pacific cold front and not an Arctic cold front. The Pacific fronts usually don't bring about as big of a chill as the Arctic fronts do.

Forecasters believe that the most significant threat of showers should begin to end from the west during the late afternoon on Sunday. By Monday morning skies across the region should be clear and temperatures more seasonable. The next threat of rain is expected to move into the area by late Tuesday and into Wednesday. This system should move through the area quickly and usher in even cooler temperatures for next weekend.