734  
FXUS64 KLCH 210342  
AFDLCH  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA  
942 PM CST THU FEB 20 2025  
   
..NEW UPDATE, CLIMATE
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- AN ARCTIC AIRMASS OVERHEAD WILL YIELD DANGEROUSLY COLD TEMPS AND  
WIND CHILLS AGAIN TONIGHT...AND A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN  
EFFECT THROUGH 9AM FRIDAY  
 
- A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE GULF WATERS  
THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING  
 
- SHOWERS/POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS RETURN TO THE AREA SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE NEXT SURFACE LOW OVER THE GULF  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
WX MAP SHOWS THE LARGE 1042 MB COLD ARCTIC SURFACE HIGH CENTERED  
ACROSS THE MIDWEST CONTINUING TO RIDGE SOUTH ACROSS THE GULF  
STATES THIS EVENING. THE COLD AIR ADVECTION AND CLEAR SKIES HAS  
ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S, WITH  
FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST INLAND LOCATIONS EXCEPT THE  
IMMEDIATE COASTLINE. THIS COUPLED WITH THE CONTINUED NORTHEAST  
WINDS AROUND 5 TO 10 MPH IS YIELDING WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES  
RANGING FROM 18 TO 28 DEGREES. FOR THE FORECAST LOWS OVERNIGHT,  
COLDEST READINGS AROUND 20-22 EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL LOUISIANA  
PARISHES, 23-26 ALONG THE I-10 & U.S. 190 CORRIDORS, AND UPPER  
20S/NEAR 30 ACROSS THE COASTAL PARISHES/COUNTIES. THIS WILL LIKELY  
BREAK THE MINIMUM RECORD LOWS FOR FRIDAY, SEE CLIMATE SECTION  
BELOW FOR DETAILS. LOWEST WIND CHILL IN THE 12-18 DEGREE RANGE,  
WITH THE COLD WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUING THROUGH 9 AM.  
 
08/DML  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 340 PM CST THU FEB 20 2025  
 
MID-AFTERNOON SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE  
CNTL/NRN PLAINS RIDGING SWD TOWARDS THE WRN GULF COAST, WITH AN  
ELEVATED NRLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW LINGERING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.  
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A WNWRLY FLOW ALOFT AROUND A MID/UPPER-  
LEVEL CUTOFF LOW APPROACHING THE APPALACHIANS. DRIER AIR  
ENCROACHING THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN HAS ALLOWED SKIES TO CLEAR  
ACROSS THE REGION TODAY, WHICH IN TURN HAS ALLOWED TEMPS TO  
FINALLY WARM INTO THE 40 ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA.  
MEANWHILE, REGIONAL 88DS REMAIN PPINE.  
 
IN THE NEAR TERM, THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SRN ZONES REMAINS IN  
EFFECT UNTIL 00Z/18L AS SFC OBS CONTINUE TO SHOW WINDS NEAR/AT  
CRITERIA. OTHERWISE THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON LOOKS CLOUDY  
AND VERY COLD FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA.  
 
WITH STRONG CAA CONTINUING, TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REMAIN VERY COLD  
THROUGH TONIGHT WITH MINS PROGGED IN THE VERY UNSEASONAL LOWER/MID  
20S. COMBINED WITH WINDS IN THE 10 TO 15 KNOT RANGE, MINIMUM WIND  
CHILL VALUES LOOK TO BE IN THE 10S FOR ALL BUT MAYBE THE IMMEDIATE  
COASTLINE TONIGHT. THERE WAS CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO UPGRADING THE  
INHERITED COLD WEATHER ADVISORY TO AN EXTREME COLD WARNING,  
PRIMARILY ACROSS THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...HOWEVER AFTER  
COLLABORATION WITH WFOS TO THE EAST, ELECTED TO MAINTAIN THE  
INHERITED ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR NOW.  
 
IN THE NEAR TERM, VERY COLD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED YET AGAIN  
TONIGHT AS CAA LINGERS. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO COOL TO THE  
LOWER/MID 20S OVERNIGHT (POSSIBLY UPPER TEENS ACROSS  
CLIMATOLOGICALLY FAVORED AREAS ACROSS CNTL LA). THE GOOD NEWS IS  
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN RELAXING TOWARDS SUNSET, STAYING UP  
ENOUGH TONIGHT TO PREVENT FROST DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MOST PART, BUT  
RELAXING SUFFICIENTLY TO KEEP APPARENT TEMPS FROM DROPPING AS LOW  
AS THEY DID THIS MORNING. HOWEVER, WITH MINIMUM WIND CHILL VALUES  
STILL PROGGED TO REACH COLD ADVISORY CRITERIA, NO CHANGES ARE  
BEING MADE THIS AFTERNOON TO THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED ADVISORY.  
 
THE EARLY PORTIONS OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD REMAIN DRY AS SFC HIGH  
PRESSURE CONTINUES TO RIDGE SWD TOWARDS THE FORECAST AREA, WHILE A  
WNWRLY FLOW ALOFT LINGERS. MOISTURE ALOFT BEGINS TO INCREASE ON  
FRIDAY IN RESPONSE TO A DIGGING SHORTWAVE DEPARTING THE FOUR  
CORNERS AND TURNING MID-LEVEL WINDS A LITTLE MORE SWRLY OVER THE  
WRN GULF COAST. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO WARM UP WELL INTO THE 40S  
FOR THE ERN ZONES AHEAD OF INCREASING CLOUD COVER EXPECTED TO  
ACCOMPANY THE INCREASING MOISTURE (TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE WRN  
ZONES WHERE THE CLOUD COVER WILL THICKEN FIRST ARE LIKELY TO RUN  
SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO TODAY'S VALUES). FRIDAY NIGHT MINS, UNDER  
THICK CLOUD COVER, SHOULD RUN MUCH WARMER THAN TONIGHT'S PROJECTED  
MINIMUMS.  
 
RAIN CHANCES RETURN TO THE FORECAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH  
SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE ADVANCING SHORTWAVE ALLOWS FOR THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF YET ANOTHER COASTAL TROF/SFC LOW OVER THE WRN GULF  
WHILE MOISTURE, MAINLY IN THE MID-LEVELS, CONTINUES TO INCREASE.  
FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE PERHAPS ENOUGH CAPE AND SUFFICIENT  
INSTABILITY ALOFT TO ALLOW FOR SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION SATURDAY  
NIGHT. SATURDAY HIGHS MAY FEEL DOWNRIGHT BALMY AFTER OUR END OF  
THE WEEK TEMPS AS TEMPS ARE FORECAST TO WARM TO THE UPPER 40S OR  
50S. SATURDAY NIGHT MINS ARE FORECAST TO RUN MOSTLY IN THE UPPER  
30S TO LOWER 40S.  
 
25  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 340 PM CST THU FEB 20 2025  
 
THE ADVANCE/PASSAGE OF A 2RY SHORTWAVE WILL KICK THE SFC FEATURES  
EWD AND OUT OF THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY, BRINGING PRECIP TO AN END  
FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE LATE MORNING/AFTERNOON HOURS.  
 
THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD LOOKS DRY AS SFC HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS BACK OVER THE AREA BEFORE PUSHING EWD. A FEW  
SHOWERS MAY BE POSSIBLE OVER MAINLY E-CNTL LA FOR LATE WEDNESDAY  
AS THE NEXT MID-LEVEL SYSTEM/SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACH THE  
REGION.  
 
25  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(00Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 532 PM CST THU FEB 20 2025  
 
CLEAR, VFR CONDITIONS WITH BREEZY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PREVAIL  
THIS EVENING. LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHWEST GULF WILL  
SEND CLOUD COVER INTO THE NORTHERN GULF STATES AFTER 14Z TOMORROW.  
CIGS NEARER TO THE LOW WILL MOVE IN BETWEEN 5 AND 10 KFT, WHILE  
THOSE TO THE EAST AND NORTH WILL VARY IN THE 10 TO 25 KFT RANGE.  
 
11/CALHOUN  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 340 PM CST THU FEB 20 2025  
 
LATEST BLENDED GUIDANCE INDICATES WINDS ON THE NEAR SHORE WATERS  
RISING BACK TO SCA CRITERIA TONIGHT, THEREFORE RE-ISSUED AN  
ADVISORY TO 0-20 NM TO ACCOUNT. IN ADDITION, EXTENDED THE SCA ON  
ALL THE GULF WATERS TO 15Z TOMORROW TO ACCOUNT FOR LATEST GUIDANCE  
INDICATING STRONG NRLY WINDS LASTING A LITTLE LONGER THAN  
PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED.  
 
MEANWHILE, SURGE GUIDANCE SHOWS WATER LEVELS WITH THE NEXT LOW  
TIDE CYCLE TONIGHT NOT LIKELY TO REACH LOW WATER CRITERIA...  
THEREFORE, NO ADVISORY IS BEING ISSUED, BUT THE CONTINUE PRESENCE  
OF LOW WATER LEVELS HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS AFTERNOON'S CWF  
ISSUANCE.  
 
25  
 

 
   
CLIMATE
 
 
RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES TIED FOR THIS MORNING INCLUDE THE  
FOLLOWING SITES:  
 
SITE THURSDAY 2/20  
----------------------------------  
LAKE CHARLES, LA 27 IN 2025  
NEW IBERIA, LA 26 IN 2025  
BEAUMONT, TX 29 IN 2025  
----------------------------------  
 
HERE'S THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR FRIDAY MORNING FOR OUR 5  
PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES:  
 
SITE FRIDAY 2/21  
--------------------------------  
ALEXANDRIA, LA 28 IN 1978  
LAKE CHARLES, LA 28 IN 1978  
LAFAYETTE, LA 29 IN 1942  
NEW IBERIA, LA 29 IN 1978  
BEAUMONT, TX 29 IN 1978  
--------------------------------  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
AEX 20 43 31 51 / 0 0 0 10  
LCH 25 43 36 51 / 0 0 0 20  
LFT 26 48 36 54 / 0 0 0 10  
BPT 27 43 37 51 / 0 0 0 40  
 

 
   
LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
LA...NONE.  
TX...NONE.  
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST FRIDAY FOR GMZ450-452-455-  
470-472-475.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...25  
LONG TERM....25  
AVIATION...11  
 
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