textproduct: New Orleans/Baton Rouge

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 618 AM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

- Above normal temperatures will be in place Thursday night through at least the middle of next week.

- No rain through the middle of next week.

SHORT TERM

(Tonight through Friday night) Issued at 1135 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Upper trough axis extended from New York to western Florida this evening, with ridging centered over the California-Arizona border. At the surface, high pressure extended from off the New England coast to New Orleans. Mid and high clouds that were over the area most of the day have now moved over the Gulf. Temperatures were generally in the 40s to lower 50s.

Northwesterly upper flow will remain over the area through Friday. While a shortwave will rotate into the base of the trough over the next couple of days, moisture is pretty much non-existant. Precipitable water values near 0.6 inches tonight will only very slowly increase, reaching around 1 inch late Friday night.

Temperatures that reached into the lower and middle 60s Wednesday afternoon are expected to be about 10 degrees warmer Thursday after a chilly start, although not as cold as Wednesday morning. Perhaps another 3-4 degrees warmer on Friday. Friday morning lows will be less cool than the last couple of nights, and pretty close to normal. Lows Friday night 5-8 degrees warmer than Friday morning.

LONG TERM

(Saturday through Wednesday night) Issued at 1135 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Upper ridging to the west will only slowly drift east through the weekend into early next week, with the eastern extension of the ridge possibly making it into the local area. This will bring only slow day to day changes through this portion of the forecast. Above normal temperatures will be the rule of the day, with highs Saturday through Monday mid 70s to mid 80s with lows mid 50s to lower 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday could be slightly cooler, but still above normal. It should be noted that the NBM deterministic value for high temperatures over the weekend is actually close to the NBM 25th percentile, and still above the GFS/ECMWF operational numbers. The NBM 50th percentile is in the mid 80s across much of the northern half of the CWA for Saturday through Wednesday. It wouldn't be a major surprise to see forecast highs tick up another degree or two for the weekend in later forecasts.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 618 AM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

VFR this taf cycle.

MARINE

Issued at 1135 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Surface high pressure centered northeast of the local area will slowly work to the east leading to generally variable winds especially near shore over the next couple days. Over the weekend, winds will gradually become southerly to southwesterly (onshore flow). There may be brief periods when wind speeds increase to 10 to 15 knots near shore, mainly during the afternoon and evening. These winds will lead to waves/seas 2-3 ft or less through the forecast.

LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

LA...None. GM...None. MS...None. GM...None.