Front bringing thunderstorms into area

• 2theadvocate.com staff report
• Published: May 14, 2008 - UPDATED: 5 p.m.

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5:40 p.m. -- EBR libraries closing

At the request of Mayor Kip Holden, the East Baton Rouge Library system is closing all 13 of its locations, according to a news release issued by Claire Delaune, the library’s head of public relations.

Delaune said the closing is due to severe weather moving through the area.

She noted that all locations will reopen Thursday morning at their regular time.

5 p.m. -- Front bringing thunderstorms into area

The Capital City area may be in for some rough weather over the next couple of days, according to a weather alert issued by East Baton Rouge E911.

A slow-moving front will begin to move southward during the next 36 hours, the weather alert said, bringing a threat of heavy rainfall and a slight risk of severe thunderstorms to the Baton Rouge region through Friday morning.

Ample moisture is streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico, and this condition helps facilitate the heavy thunderstorm activity, according to the weather alert. General rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches can be expected, with isolated amounts in the 4- to 5-inch range possible.

In addition to heavy rainfall, a few of the thunderstorms may be quite severe with the primary threat being damaging winds with the formation of isolated tornadoes being a secondary threat.

The Storm Prediction Center has declared the entire region to have a slight risk of severe thunderstorms through early Friday.

Though early Thursday, the area from Baton Rouge to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain into southwest Mississippi has the greatest threat of heavy rainfall, and the heavy rainfall may extend throughout the day Thursday and Thursday night.

Rain and thunderstorm activity is expected to diminish by Friday afternoon as the cold front moves to the southeast and drier air moves into the region.

5 p.m. - From the WBRZ Weather Center: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for northeastern Livingston Parish and central Tangipahoa Parish, including the city of Hammond, until 5:45 p.m.