Our Weather Remains HOT As Hurricane Ida Heads For Louisiana

Hurricane Ida continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico. On the current forecast track, the powerful hurricane will have minimal direct impacts on our weather. However, any change in that track and a shift toward the east could dramatically change our forecast and impacts. We expect a high pressure system to control our weather through Monday. This will keep our region mostly dry and hot. Then a cold front will combine with moisture from the remnants of Ida to increase our chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms during mid-week before drier air returns late in the week. Temperatures will remain hot and above normal through Monday with heat index values near 100 degrees in the afternoons. Highs will then drop to around normal from Wednesday through the end of the week.

Hurricane Ida
As of the 5 PM Advisory, Ida has maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center of the storm. Additional rapid strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and Ida is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it approaches the northern Gulf coast on Sunday. .

Ida is moving toward the northwest near 16 mph and this general motion should continue through late Sunday. On the current forecast track, the center of Ida will move through the Gulf of Mexico overnight and strengthen potentially to a Category 4 Hurricane before making landfall along the coast of Louisiana on Sunday. Some weakening is expected after Ida makes landfall and moves inland over portions of Louisiana and western Mississippi later Sunday into Monday.

In addition to the devastating storm surge along the coast and hurricane force winds around the storm, total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 16 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches are possible across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi through Monday. This is likely to result in life-threatening flash and urban flooding impacts and significant river flooding impacts. Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches possible from northeastern Louisiana and central Mississippi into the Tennessee Valley. This is likely to also result in considerable flash and river flooding impacts early next week.

On the current forecast track, Ida will have little direct impact on our weather. However, any change in that forecast track could lead to significant changes to our forecast and expected impacts in the Carolinas.

Our Forecast:

Tonight: Mostly clear and warm. Low: 71. Wind: S 5 mph.

Sunday: Sunny and hot. Heat index values near 100. High: 95. Wind: SW 5 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear and warm. Low: 71. Wind: SW 5-10 mph.

Monday: Sunny and hot again. Heat index values near 100. High: 96.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Low: 73.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. High 94.