165
FXUS64 KLCH 201854
AFDLCH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
154 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
..NEW SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, 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.
SHORT TERM
(TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 152 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
ANOTHER WARM AND DRY DAY HAS UNFOLDED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TO
END THE WORK WEEK, WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S AMID
PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AT THIS TIME. ONCE AGAIN, SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
IS DRAPED ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD TO THE NE GULF COAST TODAY,
WHILE ALOFT, A STRENGTHENING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IS OVER THE WESTERN
CONUS. MOISTURE RETURN HAS PICKED UP A BIT TODAY, WHICH WILL KEEP
LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S TONIGHT. IN ADDITION, ANOTHER ROUND
OF FOG IS LIKELY OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY TOMORROW MORNING.
MOVING INTO THE WEEKEND, THE WEST CONUS UPPER RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST
AND FLATTEN OUT ACROSS THE CONUS WHILE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
CONTINUES TO MEANDER TO OUR EAST. THIS WILL ALLOW THE ONGOING
WARMING TREND TO AMPLIFY A BIT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGHS WILL REACH
INTO THE UPPER 80S ACROSS INTERIOR PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA ON
BOTH SAT AND SUN AFTERNOON, WITH LOW TO MID 80S ELSEWHERE.
OVERNIGHT, LOWS ONLY FALL INTO THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S, AROUND 10
DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. WITH RIDGING ALOFT, ONGOING DRY
WEATHER CONTINUES TO PREVAIL.
LONG TERM
(MONDAY THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 152 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
THE NEW WORK WEEK BRINGS MORE OF THE SAME UNSEASONABLY WARM AND
DRY WEATHER AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DOMINATES THE MAJORITY OF THE
CONUS THROUGHOUT THE LONG TERM PERIOD. ONLY REAL CONCERN WILL BE
THE HEAT, AS TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM INTO THE LOW TO MID 80S
ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION WITH A FEW SPOTS REACHING INTO THE
UPPER 80S FURTHER INLAND. OVERNIGHT, LOWS CONTINUE TO ONLY FALL
INTO THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S. IN ADDITION, NO RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK, WITH WORSENING DROUGHT CONDITIONS
LIKELY.
AVIATION
(18Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 1217 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
A CLOUD DECK AROUND 2500FT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ACROSS THE
REGION THIS AFTERNOON, CAUSING CIGS TO WAFFLE BETWEEN MVFR AND VFR
AS CLOUD COVER SHIFTS BETWEEN SCATTERED AND BROKEN. IN ADDITION,
OCCASIONAL GUSTS AROUND 15-20 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. TONIGHT, WINDS LIGHTEN UP AND CEILINGS SHOULD BECOME
VFR AREA-WIDE. AS WE NEAR MIDNIGHT, ANOTHER ROUND OF FOG IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND BECOME DENSE IN AREAS CLOSER TO THE 09/10Z
TIMEFRAME. THIS FOG WILL BURN OFF BY MID-MORNING WITH VFR
CONDITIONS PREVAILING ONCE AGAIN. WINDS AGAIN BECOME A BIT BREEZY
BY THE END OF THE PERIOD.
MARINE
ISSUED AT 152 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
LIGHT MAINLY S TO SW WINDS AND LOW SEAS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK 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 152 PM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026
WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK AS UPPER RIDGING BUILDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 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. WHILE
MOISTURE SLOWLY RETURNS THROUGH THE PERIOD, NO RAINFALL IS EXPECTED
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
AEX 58 85 59 85 / 0 0 0 0
LCH 61 79 63 80 / 0 0 0 0
LFT 59 80 62 81 / 0 0 0 0
BPT 61 80 62 81 / 0 0 0 0
LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
LA...NONE.
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.
SHORT TERM...17
LONG TERM....17
AVIATION...17
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