Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River to Port Fourchon Louisiana Marine Forecast
| Today...Southeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 2 Feet At 7 Seconds. |
| Tonight...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 2 Feet At 7 Seconds. |
| Friday...Southeast Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 2 Feet At 6 Seconds. |
| Friday Night...South Winds 10 To 15 Knots. Seas 2 To 3 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 2 Feet At 6 Seconds. |
| Saturday...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 2 Feet At 5 Seconds. |
| Saturday Night...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots, Becoming West 10 To 15 Knots After Midnight. Seas 1 To 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 1 Foot At 5 Seconds. A Slight Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms After Midnight. |
| Sunday...Northeast Winds 20 To 25 Knots. Seas 3 To 5 Feet, Occasionally To 6 Feet. Wave Detail: North 4 Feet At 4 Seconds. A Slight Chance Of Showers And Thunderstorms In The Morning. |
| Sunday Night...Northeast Winds 20 To 25 Knots. Seas 3 To 5 Feet, Occasionally To 6 Feet. Wave Detail: East 5 Feet At 5 Seconds. |
| Monday...East Winds 20 To 25 Knots. Seas 3 To 5 Feet, Occasionally To 6 Feet. Wave Detail: East 5 Feet At 6 Seconds. |
| Monday Night...East Winds 15 To 20 Knots. Seas 2 To 4 Feet, Occasionally To 5 Feet. Wave Detail: East 4 Feet At 6 Seconds. Winds And Seas Higher In And Near Thunderstorms. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service New Orleans LA Issued by National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 1213pm CDT Thu Oct 22 2026 .SHORT TERM... (Now through Sunday night) Issued at 1209pm CDT Thu Oct 22 2026 The upper air synoptic set has the central US under a well defined Omega block with Louisiana under the subsidence of a high pressure system. At the surface, high pressure is located to the northeast around the Tennessee Valley. All this is to say that more dry weather is expected through the weekend with rain chances basically at zero. Looking at the ULM Mesonet, 2-inch soil moisture across the region is below 10% with 30-day rainfall totals around 50% of expected totals. Besides the impact on agriculture, fire weather partners are feeling the strain as fuels are dry and dormant across the entire region. The main limiting factor for fire weather concerns is a lack of wind, with the high pressure causing light northeast winds. As we move into the second half of the weekend, a broad low pressure system in the Caribbean will advect northward, increasing our pressure gradient and causing winds to increase as well. Most of the stronger winds will be offshore, but NBM90 does show gusts of 20 mph farther inland. With how sensitive fire danger concerns are, the trends in wind speeds will need to be watched closely. Temperatures will remain a few degrees above the seasonal norms as highs will be in the low to mid 80s with lows around 50 north of I-10 and mid 50s south of the highway. Long Term (Monday through Wednesday night) Issued at 1209pm CDT Thu Oct 22 2026 As we move into the next workweek, our synoptic pattern does change as the subtropical low off the eastern seaboard is pulled out to sea and the Omega block begins to break down. As the eastern low moves farther into the Atlantic, a cutoff low will dig into the Southwest. Unfortunately for those looking forward to some or any rain, you will have to wait a bit longer, as a high- pressure system almost immediately builds over the central Gulf Coast. Ensemble tables prog this high as substantial for this time of year, with 500 mb heigheights above the 90th percentile. The ridge will begin to weaken on Tuesday as low pressure moves across the Great Plains and drags a weak cold front across our region. Unfortunately, this is looking like another dry cold front, as rain chances remain below 10%. Taking a closer look, PWAT (Precipitable Water) values with the frontal passage will be around 1 inch. Ensemble forecast soundings during the expected passage show a dry atmospheric profile, further pointing to little rain potential. With the passage of this front, more dry continental air will advect into the region, which will keep our minRH values near or below 30%. Behind the front, enhanced fire weather conditions will be possible. Temperatures through next week will be seasonably warm with high remaining in the low to mid 80s and lows around 50. Marine Issued at 1209pm CDT Thu Oct 22 2026 Winds will remain calm and mainly from the northeast for the rest of today and into Friday. Starting on Saturday, winds will start to increase and will become more easterly as the pressure gradient begins to increase. Small craft headlines will likely be needed this weekend for the open waters. With the increase in easterly winds, we could see coastal flooding impacts, with P-ETSS showing high tide values close to 2 feet above MHHW. Fire Weather Issued at 1209pm CDT Thu Oct 22 2026 The main concern remains fire weather for the region as the ongoing drought continues. MinRH values are a concern, with values near or below 30%. Fuels are also very dry with KBDI values higher than 600, with some areas well into the 700s. The main limiting factor is light winds, with 20-foot wind speeds less than 10 mph. If winds start to trend higher, then fire headlines will be likely. NOAA New Orleans LA Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories LA...None. GM...None. MS...None. GM...None. |
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