End Finally in Sight for Louisiana Heatwave

Here in Louisiana, we know a thing or two about heat. Sure, it's in the food we like to make and the food we like to eat. But it's also how our typical summertime temperatures go too. But Lord, this kind of prolonged heat that The Boot has been experiencing since late July has more than overstayed its unwelcome welcome.

We won't even attempt to mislead you or put any false hope between your ears, this week it's still going to be very hot. In fact, the National Weather Service has posted an Excessive Heat Warning for the temperatures and heat indices we're expected to experience today. Heat index values of 115 degrees are possible. And if the mercury reaches over 100 degrees today we'll break a record that was set back in 1951.

Louisiana Won't Feel as Hot This Week

And while we don't expect to "officially break the heatwave" this week the chances of afternoon showers and thunderstorms do appear to be a little more likely. The forecast from the National Weather Service does include a threat of showers (30%) for Tuesday. When a cool front is expected to move through the area.

Now don't get excited there isn't going to be too much "cool" associated with this front. It will most likely only offer less humidity for long-suffering Louisiana residents who have had it with the heat. We'll still have temperatures near or above 100 but at least at night, the air temperature will drop below 80 degrees. 

The National Weather Service forecast is actually calling for the overnight low on Thursday morning to be 70 degrees. Y'all, that's lower than where you have your air conditioner set right now.

When Will the Heatwave in Louisiana Officially Break?

For a lot of us, those 70-degree morning wills suffice but the actual end to the "above normal even for Louisiana temperatures" won't actually happen until Monday, August 20th, or maybe the Sunday before depending on how fast or how slow Mother Nature moves things along.

By Monday, a week from today, several forecast services are suggesting afternoon high temperatures will only reach the lower 90s. And, those afternoon highs could be curtailed just a bit by an afternoon shower or thunderstorm. The temperature for the week of August 20th will be much closer to the seasonal norms so it will still be hot, it just won't be unmercifully hot as it has been.

What is Going on in the Tropics, Should Louisiana be Concerned?

Last week we reported to you that at least one long-range tropical model was showing a disturbance near Louisiana by August 24th or so. That does not appear to be materializing but there are two potential tropical trouble spots the National Hurricane Center will be watching over the next seven days.

Those trouble spots are only speculation by forecast models at this date and time but the threat seems legit enough that the NHC has posted about them on their website. 

When Will It Feel Like Fall in Louisiana?

If by "feel like fall" you mean when might you need a jacket or at least long sleeves in the morning, we're still at least a month away from that, maybe longer. The Climate Prediction Center will be out with their updated 30-day outlook at the end of this week and based on the shorter versions of that forecast, I think Louisiana will like what's coming in September, as long as it's not one of those tropical systems we mentioned previously.