WWL Weather Blog

Ozone Alert

2008-05-12T21:41:36Z

The Ozone Alert for today was canceled this afternoon. Conditions improved since the Alert was issued yesterday.

Please take whatever voluntary steps you can to reduce emissions that
contribute to ozone formation.

Area residents are encouraged to take one or more of the following
voluntary actions:

Drive less. Carpool, walk and bike, combine errands and care for your car.

Be sure your gas cap is on tight.

Refuel your vehicle, mow grass and use gas powered lawn equipment and off road vehicles after 6 p.m.

Postpone chores that use oil based paint, varnishes and solvents that produce flame.

If you barbeque, use an electric starter instead of starter fluid.

Take your lunch to work or walk to lunch

Conserve energy in your home.

Drier...Milder...and Sunny!

2008-05-12T14:04:49Z

A great start to the workweek with less humid air, and temperatures barely hitting 80 today. Our normal high for May 12 is 84, so we'll be below that. And the record is 91 back in 2000...we won't be anywhere near that. Enjoy this dry, pleasant weather before the humidity and rain creeps back in by mid-week.

Perfect Mother's Day Gift...

2008-05-11T16:01:33Z

The weather! Boy, it is turning out to be a beautiful day. The cold front swept through the area between 8 and 10am this morning, dropping the dewpoint from the mid 70s to the mid 50s. That's quite a difference. It was a very strong cold front which caused severe weather across much of the Central Plains and Southeastern States. However, by the time it reached SE Lousiana, the front didn't support much in the way of rainfall.

I did expect it to be a rather dry front (as in little precipitation), but we barely saw a trace across much of the area.

Mom is getting quite a treat today with blue skies, warm temperatures, but less humid conditions, so it's rather comfortable outside.

Mom's Day Forecast

2008-05-10T23:37:05Z

No records Saturday, although it was another hot & humid one outside today. New Orleans International Airport warmed up to 88 degrees. The record for today is 90 degrees set in 2002.

Early Sunday morning, I do except some isolated thunderstorms ahead of a cold front to sweep through the area. Although these thunderstorms are not expected to produce heavy rainfall, there is the possibility that on the northshore we may experience some damaging winds.

The cold front is expected to move through SE Louisiana early Sunday, drier air will begin to filter in late Sunday into Monday.

Astronomy Day Coming..

2008-05-09T02:54:57Z

This Saturday May 10th is Astronomy Day. To celebrate, the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society will be setting up telescopes at two locations: (KEEP IN MIND THESE EXENTS ARE WEATHER PERMITTING)

1) Bayou Segnette State Park
Off of the Westbank Expressway in Westwego
Telescope viewing is with park admission. Admission to the park is $1 per person.
504-736-7155

2) On Lakeshore Drive near Lafayette Street in Mandeville
Admission is free

At both locations,
5 to 7 pm safe viewing of the sun
8 to 10 pm night sky viewing, including the Moon, Saturn, Mercury and other objects

Summertime Heat & Humidity On The Way....

2008-05-08T21:43:10Z

After a warm and muggy day in the 80's Thursday, big-time heat and humidity are on the way for Friday and Saturday. With typical highs for this time of year around 85, we'll be running a good 5 degrees or so above average with highs reaching around 90 on both Friday and Saturday. By the way, records at both Audubon and Louis Armstrong International are in the low 90's both days, so those could be in jeopardy. There's only a slight chance of an afternoon thunderstorm through Saturday, with cooling rain arriving on Mother's Day.

Astronomy Day May 10th

2008-05-07T01:22:27Z

Summer Feel

2008-05-06T19:36:26Z

Summerlike conditions with temperatures around 90 and humid Friday and Saturday.

Rain chances low Wednesday at 10% with mid 80s.

20% Thursday with mid to upper 80s

Friday and Saturday highs around 90 with humid conditions and rain chance at 10%.

Mother's Day 40% chance for a few thunderstorms with highs in the upper 80s.

Gotta' Get Out!

2008-05-04T17:32:04Z

It's one of those days where you have to dream up something to do outdoors, even if it's just taking a walk.

High pressure at the surface and in the upper levels of the atmosphere will dominate our forecast over the next several days. The high is positioned to our North, which allows for less humid conditions as continental air is pushed into our region.

The high will shift East eventually and the winds will shift to the Southeast, increasing the dewpoints (the measure of moisture in the air) by Tuesday. The end of the week looks like a summertime pattern with afternoon highs in the mid to upper 80s and a chance of thunderstorms each afternoon.

Storm Reports... Sunny Sunday

2008-05-04T01:26:56Z

High pressure at the surface will dominate the forecast over the next several days. Expect less humid conditions, but it will still warm up to the low 80s.

As far as the storm system that swept through last night and this morning. Here's a list of the damage reported:
6:25am: Several trees and power lines were blown down near Highway 21 and Highway 1075 5 miles Southwest of Bogalusa.
6:30am: Flash flooding reported near Enon, several roadways flooded.
7:00am: Trees blown down from a thunderstorm near Highway 40 in Bush.
9:30am: A roof was blown off of a house in Larose from thunderstorm wind damage.
(The Channel 4 Weather Team witnessed winds in excess of 70 miles an hour in and around Larose.)

The Sun is Out!

2008-05-03T18:16:18Z

Sunshine is breaking through the this midday... as a line of heavy rain and thunderstorms pushes off of coastal Louisiana. Today, we will start to see clearing skies and temperatures in the 70s. Cool tonight with temperatures in the 50s north of the lake, 60s south.

Last night, the northshore got pounded with heavy thunderstorms that would not let up in areas such as Folsom, Loranger and a line from Livingston to Washington Parish.

Today, a line of heavy rain and thunderstorms out ahead of a cold front to our West pounded both portions of the northshore and southshore. Up to 2" of rain fell across the area. Storm reports included two damaged homes near Larose, and a roof that was blow off a house in Larose. Also, portions of highway 40 near Folsom are closed due to the flooding rainfall last night.

For a complete list of rainfall amounts and storm reports, turn to Channel 4 Eyewitness News at 5pm. I will list the reports here in my blog after the 5pm newscast.

Tornado Watch For The Southshore Only

2008-05-03T14:06:00Z

A Tornado Watch remains in effect for the southshore parishes only. This has been whittled down from the entire area earlier on this morning. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for the possible development of tornadoes. This watch lasts through 11 AM Saturday morning.

TORNADO WATCH...Severe Weather This Morning

2008-05-03T09:56:30Z

We are watching a line of severe storms to the Northwest this morning. Right now a tornado watch is in effect until 11am for the potential for rotating storms within this strong line. Heavy rain is also a threat, so a Flash Flood Watch has been issued for the Northshore parishes through around 10am. This rain will move into the Southshore later this morning, and flooding rain along with gusty winds are a good possibility.

Heavy Rain leading to River Flood Warnings

2008-05-03T02:42:48Z

Rainfall estimates up to 15" north of the lake has prompted river flood warnings for the Northshore. A viewer reported 10.24" in Folsom and a call from Loranger was 22.5".

.. FLOOD WARNING FOR
THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER NEAR FOLSOM.
.. THROUGH SATURDAY...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
.. AT 9 PM CDT...THE ESTIMATED STAGE WAS 7.0 FEET
.. FLOOD STAGE IS 16.0 FEET.
.. FORECAST...THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO RISE TO THE FLOOD STCREST OF 16.0 FEET
AROUND NOON SATURDAY MAY 3RD.
.. IMPACT...AT 16.0 FEET...AREAS OF SPRING PARK AND ALBERT THOMPSON
ROAD WILL BE INUNDATED. HOMES WILL FLOOD IF THE RIVER RISES HIGHER.
EVACUATION OF THOSE AREAS IS RECOMMENDED

.. FLOOD WARNING FOR
THE BOGUE FALAYA RIVER AT CAMP COVINGTON.
.. THROUGH SATURDAY...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
.. AT 7:00 PM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 34.3 FEET.
.. MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
.. FLOOD STAGE IS 45.0 FEET.
.. FORECAST...THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO CREST NEAR THE FLOOD STAGE
OF 45.0 FEET AROUND NOON SATURDAY MAY 3RD.
.. IMPACT...AT 45.0 FEET...WATER WILL ENCROACH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN
THE VICINITY OF THE GAGE. RESIDENCES ON THE EAST BANK NEAR THE
RIVER WILL BE THREATENED. WATER WILL COVER ENTRANCE DRIVEWAYS TO
PROPERTY ON THE EAST BANK.

Severe T'Storms

2008-05-02T22:53:09Z

We have had some severe thunderstorm warnings and even a tornado warning for N St Tammany and SW Washington parishes. Hail was reported west of Folsom this afternoon in Tangipahoa parish and a tornado east of Livingston parish near I-10 near the Holden exit.

A Flash Flood Warning is in effect until 8:30pm for N Livingston, NW St Tammany, central Tangipahoa, and SW Washington parishes for 3-6" of rainfall which has fallen and additional rainfall could fall over the same area.