289
FXUS64 KLCH 200740
AFDLCH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
240 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
..NEW DISCUSSION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER
KEY MESSAGES
- A WARMING TREND TO CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
- HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID 80S TO NEAR 90 ACROSS
INTERIOR SETX AND CENLA THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK.
- DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE, WITH NO RAIN EXPECTED FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
NEAR NORMAL CONDITIONS AT MANY OF OUR OBSERVATION SITES THIS EARLY
MORNING WITH LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS AND LIGHT PATCHY TO DENSE
GROUND FOG IN SOME AREAS. WHILE IT IS CURRENTLY NOT EXPECTED, WE
COULD SEE VISIBILITIES FALL INTO DENSE FOG ADVISORY CRITERIA.
REGARDLESS OF ISSUANCE, ONE SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS WHILE COMMUTING
THIS MORNING. FOG WILL BURN OFF SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE.
A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MEANDER EAST AND SOUTH OF THE FORECAST
AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW
PREVAILING THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. ALOFT, A STRONG RIDGE OVER
THE DESERT SW WILL EVER SO SLIGHTLY WEAKEN GOING INTO THE WORK WEEK
AS IT DRIFTS SSE. THIS RIDGE IN COMBINATION WITH A TROUGH OVER THE
ATLANTIC COAST WILL ALLOW FOR NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW TO
PREVAIL ALOFT. WE CAN EXPECT THE WARMING TREND TO CONTINUE AS
DAYTIME HIGHS RISE (AND OVERNIGHT LOWS FALL) TO ABOUT 10 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL GOING INTO THE CONSECUTIVE WORK WEEK.
DESPITE THE STREAM OF SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUING, SHOWERS ARE NOT
EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE DAY 0 TO 7 FORECAST PERIOD. BY THE BEGINNING
OF NEXT WEEK, THE UPPER RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO ERODE AS A WEAK AND
DRY COOL FRONT APPROACHES. LATEST GUIDANCE NOW SHOWS THE FRONT
SLOWING AS IT BISECTS THE REGION BEFORE RETROGRADING. THIS WILL
PROVIDE NO REAL RELIEF IN THE WAY OF COOLING, AND THE HIGH PRESSURE
BEHIND THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY MOVE OFF WITH NORTHERLY FLOW LASTING
LESS THAN A FULL DAY.
FROM THE MID WEEK PERIOD TO THE END OF THE WEEK, THE UPPER RIDGE
WILL BE ROUGHLY OVER TX WITH AREAS OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EAST
COAST AND GULF. SIMILAR TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS AND LACK OF RAIN WILL
PREVAIL.
AVIATION
(06Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 1226 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS ONGOING WITH EXCEPTION TO A FEW TERMINALS
EXPERIENCING LIFR VIS AS A RESULT OF FOG. CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO
WORSEN FOR SEVERAL OTHER SITES THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD.
WHATEVER FOG FORMS WILL BE QUICK TO BURNOFF SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE.
OTHERWISE, LIGHT SW TO S WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TO PREVAIL.
MARINE
ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
LIGHT MAINLY S TO SW WINDS AND LOW SEAS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
LINGERS TO OUR EAST. RIDGING BUILDING IN ALOFT WILL KEEP DRY
CONDITIONS IN PLACE, WITH NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THROUGH THE
FORECAST PERIOD.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE MODERATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS LIGHT S TO
SW FLOW PREVAILS. MINRH VALUES WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM THE LOW TO
MID 40S FOR INLAND LOCATIONS, AND FROM THE UPPER 40S TO UPPER 50S
FOR AREAS ALONG/SOUTH OF I-10. FROM LATE THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE
WORK WEEK, PARTS OF INTERIOR SETX AND THE CENLA PARISHES NOT
BORDERING THE ATCHAFALAYA COULD SEE MINRH VALUES FALL INTO THE 30S.
DESPITE SOME MOISTURE SLOWLY RETURNING THROUGH THE PERIOD, NO
MEASURABLE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THIS
COULD EXACERBATE ONGOING DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
AEX 82 57 86 59 / 0 0 0 0
LCH 77 61 80 63 / 0 0 0 0
LFT 79 59 81 62 / 0 0 0 0
BPT 79 60 82 62 / 0 0 0 0
LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
LA...NONE.
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.
SHORT TERM...87
LONG TERM....87
AVIATION...87
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