Severe Thunderstorm Warning 77, NWS Lake Charles, LA

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
230 PM CDT TUE AUG 20 2002

AN ACTIVE SEABREEZE BROUGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA THIS AFTERNOON WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS
AVERAGING AROUND AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF AN HOUR IN SOME
LOCATIONS.

A SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERN IS ON TAP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS WITH SEABREEZE INDUCED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE SITUATED OVER THE REGION WILL CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE LIGHT STEERING CURRENTS OVER THE AREA. A WEAK TROUGH ACROSS
THE NORTH-CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO WILL SLIDE WEST INTO SOUTH TEXAS BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON PROVIDING SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY TO SPARK
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA. WITH PLENTY OF
MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE...SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL AGAIN PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE
EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH PERSISTS ACROSS
THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES.

.LCH...NONE.

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
AEX 72/94/71/92/72/94/71 1515141
BPT 74/91/74/90/74/92/75 2625241
LCH 74/91/74/90/75/91/74 2625241
LFT 75/89/75/90/74/92/75 2625241

MAYEAUX

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-202100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1210 PM CDT TUE AUG 20 2002

...FUNNEL CLOUDS AND WATERSPOUTS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...

AT 1150 AM...LAKE CHARLES REGIONAL AIRPORT TOWER OFFICIALS AND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE PERSONNEL...NOTICED A FUNNEL CLOUD
APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE LAKE CHARLES AIRPORT.
THIS WOULD PUT THE FUNNEL CLOUD IN CAMERON PARISH NEAR GRAND LAKE.
THE FUNNEL CLOUD QUICKLY DISSIPATED BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND.

RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES CONTINUE TO SHOW DEVELOPING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG COASTAL LOCATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SEABREEZE. THESE DEVELOPING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH
SLOWLY INLAND WITH THE SEABREEZE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

A MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS AND RELATIVELY WEAK WINDS IN THE LOW TO MID
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA. UNDER THESE
CONDITIONS...SHORT-LIVED FUNNEL CLOUDS AND WATERSPOUTS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
THE COASTAL PARISHES OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. OFTEN...FUNNEL CLOUDS AND WATERSPOUTS FORM
UNDER RAPIDLY DEVELOPING CUMULUS CLOUDS WHERE SEABREEZE AND RAIN
COOLED BOUNDARIES...KNOWN AS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES...COLLIDE.

THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE IF THEY TOUCH DOWN. ALSO...
WATERSPOUTS POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO MARINERS AND CAN CAPSIZE A
SMALL CRAFT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
FOR LATER STATEMENTS. ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE
OBTAINED THROUGH OUR HOME PAGE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LCH.

RUA

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-210300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
300 PM CDT TUE AUG 20 2002

...WET SUMMER PATTERN FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...

THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND PARISHES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA HAVE SEEN THEIR SHARE OF RAINFALL OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS. SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED 9.41 INCHES OF
RAINFALL SINCE AUGUST 12TH. LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT HAS REPORTED
6.82 INCHES SINCE THE 12TH WHILE LAKE CHARLES IS CLOSE BEHIND AT 6.23
INCHES.

AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE COMBINED WITH A MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS
WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW FOR THESE DAYTIME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AS MUCH
AS AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF AN HOUR ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING CONTINUES TO BE THE BIGGEST THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
FOR LATER STATEMENTS. ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE
OBTAINED THROUGH OUR HOME PAGE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LCH.

MAYEAUX