The Storm Prediction Center Wednesday issued an enhanced threat of severe storms for Acadiana primarily for Thursday afternoon and into the evening hours.
A potent storm system that will be advancing north-northeastward across Eastern Texas Thursday will allow for scattered showers and a few storms to develop across Acadiana anytime from late morning into the afternoon hours.
Any activity we see through early tomorrow afternoon should not be widespread, but the cells could exhibit some rotation and produce funnel clouds, and perhaps an isolated tornado.
More intense and widespread storms are expected to push through the area late Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening with the best chance of severe storms at that time.
There will likely be a tornado watch...or a couple of watches issued for a good chunk of our area.
The enhanced risk of severe storms for Acadiana is a "3" on a scale of 1-5 which could make this system the most substantial severe weather threat we have seen all fall (since hurricane season) and this early winter.
The primary threats with this system will be rotating storms that may produce isolated tornadoes and damaging winds.
The risk of hail will be lower, and there shouldn't be any flooding threat (which will be confined well to our west in Eastern Texas).
But as always in the winter time, the stable marine layer from the Gulf may limit severe threat, but impressive wind shear & veering (clockwise motion) with height may overcome the climatological winter severe weather "blanket".
With any luck the severe threat and lingering rains should end near or before midnight as we ring in the new year.
Sunny skies, breezy and cool conditions will return to Acadiana for New Year's Day with highs in the upper 50s to near 60°.
Clouds should return Friday night into the first part of Saturday with sunshine expected to be back for later Saturday afternoon.
Full sunshine can be expected Sunday.
Highs this weekend will be in the chilly low-mid 50s Saturday (depending on the cloud cover) with readings topping out near 60° Sunday.
Temperatures will dip into the mid-30s though for Sunday morning with the slight chance of frost primarily for the northern parishes of Acadiana.
Moderating temperatures are expected early next week with the next chance of showers arriving Wednesday.
See the KATC 10 Day Forecast for the latest.
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