Weather Service Says Strong Storms Possible Saturday, Colder Sunday

(KMDL-FM) Mother Nature has thrown a mixed bag of weather conditions at Louisiana over the past couple of weeks, hasn't she? There was one weekend when the wind chill didn't get out of the 20s.

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That was followed by a weekend filled with severe storms and tornadoes. Then, just a few days ago, for Mardi Gras in Louisiana, we had folks needing sunscreen along the parade route. So, to expect this weekend's weather to be "calm" would be a gross miscalculation.

Is There a Threat of Severe Weather in Louisiana This Weekend?

If there is good news in the weekend weather outlook for Louisiana, it would be that the threat of severe storms is not nearly as great as it was last weekend. The Storm Prediction Center does include portions of the state in its Convective Outlook.

But that threat suggests only strong thunderstorms over the southeastern third of the state. The forecast does not imply a large threat of severe storms.

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In fact, the official forecast for Saturday from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Lake Charles does not include a large probability of showers or storms. The current forecast indicates a 40% chance of showers across the forecast area.

According to the National Weather Service's forecast, although there is a 30% chance of showers across the region today, the most likely time for showers on Saturday will be in the morning hours. The threat of rain will decrease through the afternoon hours.

READ MORE: What Does a 40% Chance of Rain Really Mean?

By Saturday night, the cold front that is the catalyst for the shower and storm threat will have passed through the area. Behind that front, there will be a return to more seasonable conditions. Namely, temperatures will fall into the middle 40s by Sunday morning and only warm to the upper 50s for Sunday's high temperature.

The following work week appears to be calm and quiet. Expect mostly sunny skies, cool temperatures, and no threat of rain until sometime late next week.

Is Winter Over for Louisiana? Will There Be Anymore Freezing Temperatures?

This might be our last "flirt with freezing" for the cold weather months in Louisiana. The Climate Prediction Center has issued its updated long-range forecast. That outlook suggests that temperatures for March, April, and May will be above normal.

That same three-month outlook, when applied to the precipitation outlook, suggests that the Gulf South will get a "normal amount" of rainfall for the period. The warmer temperatures and the normal rainfall should bode well for the crawfish season, which is also ramping up over the next four to six weeks.