textproduct: New Orleans/Baton Rouge

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1057 AM CST Thu Jan 29 2026

- Below normal temps expected through the remainder of the week.

- Another significant Arctic outbreak, stronger/colder than last weekend, with impacts expected late Friday through early Monday morning. No precipitation is expected, but the air mass will be very cold, with the primary threats being dangerously low temperatures and wind chills. A Cold Weather

- Gale force winds look to be on the horizon the entire weekend, starting as early as Friday night.

SHORT TERM

(This afternoon through Friday) Issued at 1057 AM CST Thu Jan 29 2026

Conditions will be dry through the short term forecast. The main story for the short term forecast will be the extreme cold temperatures that we are expecting across the area. Low temperatures Saturday and Sunday morning will be in the mid 20s to low 20s in most locations. These temperatures are cold, but will be greatly exacerbated by the strong winds. Wind chill temperatures will be in the teens to single digits for most of the area Saturday and Sunday mornings. As a result, Extreme Cold Warnings have been issued for the entire area from Friday night through Sunday morning. Highs on Saturday will be just above freezing for most locations while highs on Sunday are a bit warmer with temperatures in the mid 40s. During this cold event, remember the 4 Ps: pets, plants, people, and pipes. Make sure to dress warmly if you need to be outside, but prolonged exposure will be dangerous. MSW

LONG TERM

(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 1057 AM CST Thu Jan 29 2026

Monday through mid week, temperatures will be warming steadily through the week. Highs will be in the mid 60s and lows will be in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Looking at the models, conditions will be dry Monday and Tuesday. Another cold front will likely be moving through the area Wednesday, which will cause another cold snap. It is still too far out to discern too many details, but some strong to severe storms could be possible on Wednesday as the system moves through the area. We will be monitoring for changes as we go through the next few days. MSW

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1057 AM CST Thu Jan 29 2026

VFR conditions prevail at all area airports and will persist for most area airports throughout the forecast period. Conditions will drop to IFR for a few hours at MCB and BTR around daybreak due to lower ceilings. Wind shifts greater than 30 degrees will be expected throughout the forecast period at all area airports. MSW

MARINE

Issued at 1057 AM CST Thu Jan 29 2026

A surface low developing along the lee of the Rockies will move southeast across the Red River and into the Lower Ms Valley today. However it will weaken as this occurs leading to light onshore flow today and tonight before it moves into the southeastern CONUS overnight. Once it moves through offshore flow will redevelop through the day and increasing in strength. By afternoon SCY conditions will likely be in place and as deeper cold air drives into the region winds northerly and northwesterly winds will continue to increase and Gale conditions could develop. A Gale Warning has been issued for Friday night through Saturday. Winds will eventually begin to taper off as high pressure builds in early Sunday.

LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

LA...Extreme Cold Warning from midnight Friday night to 10 AM CST Sunday for LAZ034>037-039-046>048-056>060-064>071-076>090.

GM...Gale Warning from 6 PM Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for GMZ530-532-534-536-538-550-552-555-557-570-572-575-577.

MS...Extreme Cold Warning from midnight Friday night to 10 AM CST Sunday for MSZ068>071-077-083>088.

GM...Gale Warning from 6 PM Friday to midnight CST Saturday night for GMZ532-534-536-538-550-552-555-557-570-572-575-577.