Summer Pattern This Week

Posted: Jul 23, 2012 3:14 PM by Rob Perillo

A more typical summer pattern is expected for Acadiana this week as stronger high pressure takes residence across the region.

Rain chances will be closer to 20-30% over the next several afternoons with more sunshine translating to daytime highs topping out into the low-mid 90s.

Heat index values will therefore top out between 100-105F before any cooling effects are felt from widely scattered afternoon showers and storms.

Little change in the pattern is expected through this weekend although there could be a subtle increase for the risk of stronger afternoon/evening storms.

Interestingly enough, July's weather pattern in Acadiana has picked up where June left off with 8-9" of rainfall in most areas this month coming after a June with 8-9" in the Lafayette area.

Earlier this month, Lafayette surpassed all the precipitation that it received for the entire calender year of 2011.

To date, more than 40" of rain has fallen in Lafayette this year...compared to the 36-37" of rain that fell in 2011. This time last year many spots across Acadiana were struggling with drought and rainfall of less than 20 inches for the year.

Normal year total rainfall in the area is around 60 inches.

The tropics remain generally quiet with two distrubances of note today. One tropical wave was located over Florida while an upper trough in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico will keep this system from developing tropically.

Another wave was noted on the far Southeastern Caribbean. No development is anticipated with either of these systems at this time.

Lots of tropical squelching Saharan dust is still noted across large portions of the Tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean.