River Flood Warning 61, NWS Lake Charles, LA

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
347 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE, HYDROLOGY...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Significant severe weather potential through tonight with strong
  tornadoes, enhanced damaging winds, and large hail all possible.

- Significant flash flooding potential through tonight, with heavy
  rainfall and flooding lingering through Wednesday into early
  Thursday. Rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour with area
  wide average storm total rainfall amounts 3 to 8 inches, with
  some "hot spots" over 10 inches.

- Forecast rainfall amounts and higher tides along the coast may
  lead to significant river flooding for portions of the lower
  Neches, lower Sabine, lower Calcasieu basins, along with the
  Mermentau and Vermilion River basins.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Tonight through Thursday night)
Issued at 330 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

Strong upper level disturbance is approaching the forecast area.
Warm front has moved inland today and through the forecast area
increasing instability and allowing for the potential of surface
based thunderstorms. Strong deep layer shear will increase to go
along with favorable lapse rates and instability to bring about a
severe weather potential from now through tonight.

First, discrete cells will develop ahead of the short wave that
will have the potential to rotating super cells, mainly from now
through sunset with tornadoes and large hail the main concern.
Then convection will consolidate into a squall line feature that
will move through during the evening hours into the overnight.
Damaging wind gusts, large hail, and spin up tornadoes along any
bow features will be possible.

What is also concerning is that very rich Gulf air will be moving
in with PWAT values near 2 inches which is over the 90th
percentile and nearing the max moving average. Mean layer relative
humidity between 100H-50H will be over 80 percent. Therefore,
convection will have a high precipitation efficiency. Probs show
rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour, and with the convective
feature expected to slow as it moves into Acadiana, with mean
level flow becoming parallel to the low level Theta-E ridge,
training and back-building of cells will be possible. This will
bring about excessive rainfall that could lead to significant
flash flooding as HREF is showing greater than 50 percent chance
for more than 5 inches of rainfall by tomorrow morning in an area
roughly between Alexandria and Lake Charles to Lafayette and New
Iberia. Some guidance showing "hot spots" over 10 inches within
that area.

Frontal system is expected to stall along the I-10 corridor by
Wednesday morning. With a series of disturbance still moving
overhead, high rain chances will continue. Heavy rainfall threat
will also continue, mainly near the boundary, with a severe threat
south of where the boundary sets up.

Rain chances will continue until a secondary cold front moves down
late on Thursday.

Rua

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday through next Monday)
Issued at 334 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

Decent moisture will be hanging around behind the front on Friday
into Saturday, along with a series of disturbance to keep a chance
for rain in the forecast. Drier air looks to finally make it down
late in the weekend into early next week.

Rua

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1241 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

Cluster of elevated showers and storms will affect the Acadiana
terminals of KLFT and KARA through about 06/19z.

Short wave moving in from the west will increase activity later
this afternoon with winds also increasing ahead of the system.
Tried to time when a convective squall line feature is expected to
move across this evening into the overnight.

Shower and thunderstorm activity will linger on Wednesday,
especially along the I-10 corridor terminals of
KBPT/KLCH/KLFT/KARA.

Rua

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 344 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

Elevated south winds will continue through the evening hours with
a gradient associated with an approaching storm system. A small
craft advisory will remain in effect until 10 pm. Winds will
slowly decrease after that as gradient relaxes some as the frontal
trough stalls along the I-10 corridor.

A period of offshore winds will develop on Friday as a weak cold
front moves into the coastal waters.

Rua

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 346 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

Looking at the latest hydrologic ensemble systems forecasts there
is potential for significant flooding on the lower Neches, Sabine,
lower Calcasieu, Mermentau and Vermilion River basins due to
excessive rainfall forecast tonight into Wednesday.

Rua

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX  66  82  63  82 /  90  50  50  60
LCH  69  80  67  82 /  80  70  70  70
LFT  70  79  67  80 /  90  80  80  80
BPT  71  82  68  84 /  70  70  60  60

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...Flood Watch through Thursday evening for LAZ027>033-044-045-055-
     073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-252>254.

TX...Flood Watch through Thursday evening for TXZ180-201-259>262-515-
     516-615-616.

GM...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for GMZ450-452-
     455-470-472-475.

&&

SHORT TERM...07
LONG TERM....07
AVIATION...07

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