Strong north winds behind a cold front pushed tides below normal.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LCH wrote it up.
Strong north winds behind a cold front pushed tides below normal.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 22, 12:03 AM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1203 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER...
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Low relative humidity and gusty northerly winds along with
underlying dry fuels will cause the fire danger to increase Sunday
and Monday, especially across the southern and central parishes of
Louisiana.
- A Canadian air mass will settle into the region, bringing much
cooler conditions with the potential for a light freeze on Monday
night into Tuesday morning.
- Much warmer conditions return from the middle of the next work
week into the rest of the long term.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Tuesday night)
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
The front has now pushed into the coastal waters. In the wake of the
front, a surface high will build southward from the central and
southern Plains through the remainder of the short term, resulting
in cool, dry, and breezy post frontal conditions.
The tightening pressure gradient will produce several hazards
tonight and persisting through Sunday across both inland and marine
areas. Inland, very dry air advecting into the region will drive
surface dewpoints sharply lower, with minimum afternoon relative
humidities falling to near 20 percent. Combined with sustained
northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph, critical fire
weather conditions are expected. A Red Flag Warning is in effect
from Avoyelles Parish south and west to the coast in Louisiana, with
a Fire Danger Statement covering the remainder of the forecast area.
These strong winds have also warranted the issuance of a Wind
Advisory for portions of the area.
Temperatures will undergo a significant cooldown behind the front.
Currently temperatures are in the upper 60s to lower 80s, but post
frontal highs through the remainder of the period will struggle to
reach the lower 60s. Overnight lows tonight will fall into the upper
30s to upper 40s, with apparent temperatures dipping into the lower
30s to lower 40s due to persistent northerly winds.
Conditions will remain chilly Sunday night, with lows near freezing
across portions of interior SETX and CenLA, and mid 30s elsewhere.
Apparent temperatures will range from the upper 20s to lower 30s.
The coldest period is expected Monday night into Tuesday morning,
when actual temperatures fall into the upper 20s to mid 30s. Winds
will become light and variable as the surface high shifts eastward
toward MS, limiting wind chill concerns and allowing apparent
temperatures to remain close to actual values. Latest NBM guidance
indicates a 20 to 90 percent probability of subfreezing temperatures
north of the I-10 corridor, particularly across central Louisiana,
with lower but still notable probabilities extending southward into
portions of Acadiana and the Atchafalaya Basin.
A rapid warm up is expected to begin Tuesday.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday through Sunday)
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
Afternoon highs will rise into the mid 70s to lower 80s by midweek,
while overnight lows moderate into the 60s by early Thursday
morning. The next opportunity for isolated to scattered showers
arrives late Thursday into early Friday as a weak frontal boundary
approaches the area. Rainfall amounts look very limited at this time
to decrease the increasing drought conditions across the area.
Increased cloud cover and precipitation will briefly limit daytime
temperatures to the mid 70s, though this cooling will be short lived
as drier conditions return heading into the weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
Tight pressure gradient overhead behind a departing cold front will
keep breezy north winds, along with frequent gusts to 25+ kts, in
place throughout much of the period. Winds will finally begin to
relax after sunset tonight after a full day of strong offshore flow.
Otherwise, VFR conditions prevail with only a few high clouds
expected.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
Strong and gusty northerly winds are expected behind the cold front
from this evening through Monday. Frequent gusts approaching or
exceeding gale force are possible tonight into Sunday morning,
particularly over the open Gulf waters. Winds and seas will
gradually subside late Monday into Tuesday as high pressure settles
over the region.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sun Feb 22 2026
Critical fire weather conditions are expected Sunday across much of
the area in the wake of the cold front. Very dry post frontal air
will support minimum relative humidities near 20 percent, while
sustained northerly winds exceeding 20 mph in some locations will
further exacerbate fire spread potential. A Red Flag Warning will be
in effect from Avoyelles Parish and southwest to the coast in
Louisiana , with a Fire Danger Statement covering the remainder of
the forecast area. Elevated winds have also resulted in the issuance
of a Wind Advisory for portions of the area. Elevated fire
conditions will continue into Monday and a fire danger statement may
be required across much of the area on Monday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX 58 33 56 29 / 0 0 0 0
LCH 60 37 58 35 / 0 0 0 0
LFT 58 35 56 33 / 0 0 0 0
BPT 62 39 61 39 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...Red Flag Warning from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM CST this evening
for LAZ029-031>033-044-045-055-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-
252>254.
Wind Advisory until 3 PM CST this afternoon for LAZ033-044-045-
055-073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-252>254.
TX...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM CST this afternoon for GMZ430-
432-435-436.
Gale Warning until noon CST today for GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475.
Small Craft Advisory from noon today to 6 AM CST Monday for
GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475.
&&
SHORT TERM...27
LONG TERM....27
AVIATION...15The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 astronomical low tide. Local standard time, as filed.
The tide at Sabine Pass fell below -1 foot MLLW for multiple hours. The tide hit a low of -1.11 feet.
The tide at Sabine Pass fell below -1 foot MLLW for multiple hours. The tide hit a low of -1.51 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1320294, 1320295.