Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum's Weather Blog

A Stormy Afternoon:  A cold front will move into Southeast Louisiana this afternoon and it will set off scattered showers and thunderstorms.  Some of the storms could be strong to even severe.  SPC has put most of the area in a Slight Risk for severe weather.  The main threats would be damaging winds and large hail.  We will also see frequent lightning strikes and heavy rain with any storm.  However, it will not be a washout tonight, so bring you umbrella to any of the festivals tonight.  High temperatures will be in the mid 80s before the rain begins.   Tonight Forecast:  The storms, some strong to severe, will continue into the evening hours.  Temperatures will fall into the 70s.  The bulk of the rain and storms will end overnight with only a spotty shower possible as the cold front stalls along the Louisiana Coast.  It will be mild with lows in the 60s.   Wet Weekend:  The front will remain stalled alon...

Each year in April, a group of forecasters from Colorado State University lead by Dr. Philip Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray.  They have been doing this for decades and this gives us an idea of how the hurricane season could play out.  Yes, we take this as a grain of salt because it could easily change.  However, it still helps to have a guide. They look at a number of things from global atmospheric conditions, oceanic conditions, climate history and weather patterns to put together a forecast.  After all of their analysis, they have concluded that we will have a below average 2015 Hurricane Season. The main factors for fewer storms this season is the likelihood for a moderate El Nino to form and cool Atlantic Ocean water temperatures.  When you have an El Nino you typically have more wind shear across the Globe and that makes it hard for storms to develop and persist.  Yes, it is still possible for some to form and become hurricanes, but you would no...

Above Average Temps. Today: We will have another day with above average and even near record high temperatures across Southeast Louisiana. It will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance for a few showers and storms too. Highs will be in the mid 80s. The record high at Armstrong International Airport is 86 set back in 1999, Audubon is 87 set back in 1946 and Slidell is 86 set back in 1965. Tonight: The clouds will stick around this evening along with a few showers or thunderstorms. The temperatures will fall into the 70s. Tonight will continue to be mostly cloudy and we could see some patchy fog with a spotty shower or two. Lows will be in the 70s.  Friday Cold Front:  A cold front will move toward New Orleans on Friday and it will set off scattered showers and thunderstorms starting in the late morning and lasting for much of the day. Some of the storms could be strong to severe. SPC has placed much of SELA in a Slight Risk for severe storms. The main threats would be d...