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Heavy Rain Expected On This Mardi Gras

...Flood Watch Through This Afternoon...

Short Term Forecast:  It looks like we will have a pretty soggy Mardi Gras.  The cold front has stalled along the coast overnight.  Scattered showers and thunderstorms are still popping up around Baton Rouge this morning with mostly cloudy skies.  It is cool with temperatures in the 50s.

The front will retreat back to the north as a warm front later this morning and into the afternoon hours.  At the same time an area of low pressure will form over Southern Texas and move toward Louisiana.  This will all lead to another day of scattered showers and thunderstorms.  Some of the storms could be strong to severe and have heavy rain.  SPC has us in a Slight Risk for severe weather today.  We could pick up an additional 1-3 inches across Southeast Louisiana today.  The NWS continues the Flood Watch through this afternoon.  Watch out for some flash flooding in areas that typically hold a lot of water.  It will become warmer as the warm front moves into Baton Rouge with highs around 70.

The low will move through tonight and that will take most of the rain with it as it drags a cold front behind it.  We will stay mostly cloudy with isolated showers.  Lows will be in the mid 50s.

River Flooding:  There has been some very heavy rain falling across Southern Mississippi since Sunday.  This is the Watershed for the Amite, Comite, Tickfaw and Tangipahoa Rivers.  Doppler radar rainfall estimates show anywhere from 3 to 8 inches of rain has fallen, and more is expected today.  This will cause the runoff to go into the river basins and flow down into Louisiana.  Right now the NWS has issued River Flood Warnings for the Amite River Basin as it is expected to rise above flood stage by the end of the week.

Week Ahead:  There will be some lingering clouds and a few showers on Ash Wednesday Morning, but they will be gone by the afternoon as the sunshine returns.  Expect a cooler day with highs in the lower 60s.  Wednesday Night will be clear and cold with lows in the upper 30s.

Valentine's Day Thursday will be sunny and sweet with highs in the mid 60s as high pressure builds over the Deep South.  Thursday Night will be clear and chilly with lows in the lower 40s.  Be sure to have that jacket for your sweetie if you are headed out for a date! 

More sunshine is on tap for Friday with highs in the upper 60s and lows in the lower 40s.

Weekend Outlook:  A strong clipper system, or fast-moving cold front, will push across the Eastern U.S. on Saturday.  This will make it all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  Expect mostly cloudy skies with a few light showers in the morning.  It will become MUCH COLDER behind this front with high temperatures only making it into the lower 50s.  Saturday Night will be clear and cold with a light freeze.  Lows will be in the lower 30s.

More cool weather is on tap for Sunday with sunny skies.  Highs will be in the upper 50s.  Sunday Night will be clear and cold with lows near 40.

Take that umbrella with you as you head out to any Mardi Gras parades today! -Dave

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