Weather Blog

Dave Nussbaum
dnussbaum@wbrz.com

Short Term:  It is a very warm and muggy morning across the Baton Rouge area.  Temperatures are in the lower to mid 70s. 

A very hot afternoon is expected with partly cloudy skies.  High pressure is sitting over us today, and that will provide plenty of sunshine, along with the unseasonably hot temperatures in the upper 90s to near 100!  The Heat Index will be 100 to 105.  The only relief from this heat will be a few thunderstorms that will pop-up.  However, the chance for rain is at 20%. 

Tonight, the skies will remain partly cloudy, and it will be another very muggy night.  Low temperatures will fall to the mid 70s. 

Week Ahead:  That area of high pressure will move to the east of us, and that will will allow for plenty of Gulf Moisture to move this way.  This will give us daily scattered showers and thunderstorms starting Tuesday and lasting into the weekend.  We will start each day with partly cloudy skies, and then the storms will pop-up in the afternoon.  The chance for rain will be around 40-50% each day.  The storms could contain heavy rain, and gusty winds.  High temperatures will be in the lower 90s for the rest of the week, so at least it will not be as hot! 

Tropical Update:  Tropical Storm Dolly formed yesterday in the western Caribbean.  Dolly is located over the northern Yucatan Peninsula, or 150 miles east of Progreso, Mexico.  Winds are at 50 mph, and Dolly will weaken over land today.  However, Dolly will strengthen when it moves into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and likely into a hurricane on /Wednesday.  The storm is moving to the NW at 15 mph, and the pressure is at 1008 mb.  At this time, it looks like we will not have to worry about Dolly.  We may see a few rainbands heading our way, and a few higher seas, but nothing major.  Nonetheless, always keep it tuned to News 2 and Cable Channel 18 for your tropical weather updates. 

Tropical Storm Cristobal formed over the weekend.  Cristobal is located just off the North Carolina Outer Banks.  Winds are around 50 mph, and it is moving to the NE at 15 mph, and will continue on this track over the next few days.  The storm should maintain is strength over the next few days. 

There is a strong tropical wave on the Coast of Africa.  This system has the potential to become a tropical cyclone very quickly after is emerges into the Eastern Atlantic within the next few days.  We will keep a close eye on this system too! 

Elsewhere. . .tropical cyclone formation is not expected through Tuesday.

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