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Hotter With Spotty Storms Today

Short Term Forecast:  It is a very warm and muggy start to this Tuesday with partly to mostly cloudy skies.  Temperatures are in the mid to upper 70s.

I am not expecting to see as many storms this afternoon compared to the last few days.  This is thanks to an area of high pressure over the Gulf of Mexico that is moving to the west and another area of high pressure over the Western U.S.  They are sending some drier air aloft, and that limits the amount of storms you will have over the area with northwest winds aloft.  Therefore, we will be partly cloudy, hotter and humid with only spotty storms.  High temperatures will be in the lower to mid 90s.  The heat index will be over 100°!

Look for some clouds tonight and it will be stuffy.  Low temperatures will be in the mid 70s.

Week Ahead:  We will stay very hot and humid on Wednesday with only a slight chance of a shower or storm.  We could have some storms moving from the Great Plains States southeastward toward Louisiana.  If they hold together, we could have a slightly better chance of storms.  Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy with only spotty storms.  Highs will be in the mid 90s and lows in the mid 70s.

Thursday and Friday will continue to be hot and humid with only isolated showers and storms possible thanks to the sea breeze.  Again, if a complex of storms forms in the Great Plains and dives to the southeast, I will have to keep an eye on them to see if they will make it to Baton Rouge.  Highs will be in the mid 90s and lows still in the mid 70s.

Weekend Forecast:  The chance for rain will go up this weekend as a rare cold front moves into the Southeast U.S.  This front will not likely get all the way to Baton Rouge, but it will be close enough to help set off some storms.  Saturday will be partly cloudy with isolated showers and storms.  Highs will be in the lower 90s.  Saturday Night could have a few showers with lows in the mid 70s.

The cold front will likely stall and dissipate along I-10 on Sunday, if it makes it that far south.  We will be partly to mostly cloudy with isolated to scattered showers and storms.  Highs will be in the lower 90s and lows in the lower 70s on Sunday Night.

Tropical Outlook:  I'm watching an area of low pressure, Invest 98L, WAY out in the open Atlantic.  It is actually a few hundred miles SSE of the Cape Verde Islands.  Additional development is possible over the next 24 to 48 hours as it moves to the WNW at 15 to 20 mph.  This system is expected to move into some stronger wind shear on Wednesday, and this could help to disspate the system.  It is rare to see a system forming this early in the Hurricane Season.  Typically, we do not look for storms to form in July this far out in the Atlantic.  They usually form there starting in August.  NHC is giving this system a medium chance for development during the next 48 hours.

Elsewhere...the rest of the tropics are quiet, and tropical cyclone formation is not expected through Wednesday.

Stay cool and have a great day! -Dave

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