Severe Thunderstorm Warning 142, NWS New Orleans, LA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS/BATON ROUGE LA
240 AM CDT WED AUG 20 2003

FORECAST LOOKS TO REMAIN FAIRLY ON TRACK THIS MORNING AS AN UPPER
HIGH REMAINS EMBEDDED OVER THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WHILE MODEST
NORTHEAST FLOW ALOFT DOMINATES THE LOWER SOUTHEAST. HIGH PRESSURE AT
THE SURFACE ALSO REMAINS PLANTED OVER THE NORTHERN GULF. THIS
PATTERN IS NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE MUCH AS A BROAD UPPER RIDGE OVER
THE WESTERN STATES SLOWLY TRIES TO BUILD EASTWARD ALLOWING WEAK
TROUGHING TO AFFECT THE MID AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AROUND THE
UPCOMING WEEKEND PERIOD. THEREFORE...THE MAIN FOCUS FOR RAIN TODAY
AND OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL PRIMARILY BE CONVERGENCE ALONG LAKE
AND SEA BREEZE BOUNDARIES COUPLED WITH WEAK EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES
ALOFT TRAVERSING ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. AT THIS
POINT...WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES DURING THE DAY IN THE HIGH SCT CAT
ALTHOUGH IF PWS NEAR 2 INCHES...RAIN COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES.

PRELIM NUMBERS TO PONDER...

MCB 092/073/090/072 5252  BTR 092/074/090/073 5252
MSY 092/074/090/075 5252  GPT 089/075/089/074 5252

.NEW...NONE
LA...NONE.
MS...NONE.

09

LAZ034>040-046>050-056>070-MSZ068>071-077-080>082-211100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1100 AM CDT WED AUG 20 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
EXTREME SOUTHWEST AND COASTAL MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON. THE
STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. RAINFALL MAY ALSO BE HEAVY AT TIMES. ORGANIZED
OR WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THOUGH ARE NOT EXPECTED.

HEAT INDICES MAY EXCEED 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE 90 TO 95 DEGREE RANGE OVER THE CENTRAL
GULF COAST. THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HIGH
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL SEND HEAT INDICES INTO THE 105 TO 110 DEGREE
RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. A HEAT INDEX OF 105 DEGREES IS CONSIDERED
THE LEVEL WHERE MANY PEOPLE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE EXTREME DISCOMFORT
OR PHYSICAL STRESS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH
TUESDAY WITH THE BETTER CHANCES EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...IS
NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.