UPDATE FROM STATE CLIMATOLOGIST JAY GRYMES 10.2.26

Rain finally returns to the short-to-medium outlook, especially for the southern part of the state.  Rains of 1″ to 4″ near and south of the I-10/12 corridor should put at least a dent in drought conditions for much of that portion of the state.

Severe storms are not a significant concern with the expected rain around the Bayou State, although isolated strong/severe storms cannot be ruled-out, especially for Saturday and Sunday.  The “wet” forecast has prompted cancellations/postponements of some outdoor events this weekend but neither day is anticipated to be an all-day wash-out.

Unfortunately, most of the northern half of Louisiana will get less than 1″ of rain over the next few days … that may be enough to halt the recent trend of drought intensification for many northern parishes but will not be sufficient for notable improvements in soil moisture.

A sequence of fronts will take advantage of a recent increase in regional atmospheric moisture and keep the weather unsettled into next week along the coast.  But the rains will exit northern Louisiana by late Sunday/early Monday.

The other storyline here is the forecast for an extended run of days without highs reaching the 90° after today (Friday).

Thanks to:

NWS offices serving Louisiana: SHV, JAN, LCH & LIX

NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC)

NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC)

WeatherModels.com

GOHSEP & LSU