909
FXUS64 KLCH 262030
AFDLCH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
330 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
..NEW SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER
KEY MESSAGES
- DENSE FOG IS FORECAST ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA TONIGHT INTO
FRIDAY MORNING.
- A DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BRING A BRIEF PERIOD OF LOWER
HUMIDITY AND COOLER TEMPERATURES SATURDAY, WITH FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS.
- WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK ALONG WITH SMALL RAIN
CHANCES.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
UNSEASONABLY WARM CONDITIONS PERSIST, WITH AFTERNOON TEMPS IN THE
UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. AT THE SURFACE, PERSISTENT SOUTHERLY FLOW
REMAINS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN A DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO
THE EAST AND AN APPROACHING SYSTEM FROM THE WEST. THE RESULTING
TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT IS SUPPORTING SUSTAINED BREEZY TO
GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS OBSERVED ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON.
ALOFT, RIDGING CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER NORTHERN MEXICO AND WEST
TEXAS WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTHEASTWARD AND EXPAND, REINFORCING
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THIS SYNOPTIC PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN A
WARM, EARLY SUMMER LIKE TEMP REGIME THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH NO RAIN
CHANCES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTINUED MOIST LOW
LEVEL AIRMASS AND LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL FAVOR ANOTHER ROUND
OF FOG DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
REGARDING FOG POTENTIAL, A DENSE FOG ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
FROM 00Z TO 14Z (MIDNIGHT TO 9AM) FRIDAY FOR PORTIONS OF CENLA
SOUTHWARD TO THE COAST AND ALONG / SOUTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR. FOG
DEVELOPMENT PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT WILL BE POSSIBLE, WITH THE POTENTIAL
FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES PERSISTING INTO THE MID MORNING HOURS. IT
IS ADVISED TO COMMUTE CAREFULLY DURING THOSE TIMES.
BY LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND (FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY), A COLD FRONT
IS FORECAST TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE REGION AS THE UPPER RIDGE
WEAKENS. THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN LARGELY DRY;
HOWEVER, IT WILL USHER IN A COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS, ALLOWING
TEMPERATURES TO RETURN CLOSER TO CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS BY
SATURDAY. (ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE LIKELY. CHECK THE
FIRE WEATHER PORTION FOR MORE INFORMATION.)
BY SUNDAY, THE UPPER RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS IT SHIFTS
INTO THE GULF THROUGH THE EARLY PORTION OF THE WORK WEEK. ALONG
WITH THAT, GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WEAK TROUGH
ACROSS THE WESTERN TO CENTRAL CONUS BY MIDWEEK, ALTHOUGH TIMING
DIFFERENCES REMAIN AMONG MODEL SOLUTIONS. AT THE SURFACE, HIGH
PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BRIEF RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPS
WILL SHIFT EASTWARD, ALLOWING SOUTHERLY FLOW TO REESTABLISH ACROSS
THE REGION.
WITH INCREASING MOISTURE AND A WEAKENED RIDGE ALOFT, ISOLATED
DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION CANNOT BE RULED OUT DURING THE NEXT
WORK WEEK. THIS PATTERN WILL ALSO SUPPORT A RETURN TO ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
AVIATION
(18Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
VFR CONDITIONS ONGOING WITH ELEVATED SOUTHERLY FLOW AS A RESULT OF
A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT. OVER THE EVENING, WINDS WILL BEGIN
TO EASE, WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF DENSE FOG AND LOW CIGS POSSIBLE.
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE ONCE AGAIN A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNRISE.
MARINE
ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
LIGHT ONSHORE WINDS AND LOW SEAS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH FRIDAY. A DRY
COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
INTO SATURDAY MORNING TURNING WINDS OFFSHORE AND INCREASING THEM TO
20-25 KNOTS WITH SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET. THE ELEVATED OFFSHORE FLOW IN
ADDITION TO BEING A FEW DAYS BEFORE A FULL MOON COULD LEAD TO LOW
WATER CONDITIONS. THESE WINDS WILL WEAKEN BY SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE
TURNING BACK ONSHORE SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2026
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE
REGION THROUGH FRIDAY WITH AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPING EACH MORNING
BEFORE DIMINISHING A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNRISE. A DRY COLD FRONT
WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY
WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF COOLER, DRIER AIR FILTERING INTO THE REGION
ON BREEZY NORTH WINDS SATURDAY. THIS DRIER AIR WILL DROP AFTERNOON
MINIMUM RH VALUES INTO THE 25-35% RANGE WHICH, COMBINED WITH THE
ONGOING DROUGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION, COULD SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT AND/OR SPREAD OF WILDFIRES.
WHILE NO SPECIFIC FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AT THIS
TIME, IT WILL NOT BE OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY TO SEE A
MINIMUM OF A FIRE DANGER STATEMENT, IF NOT A RED FLAG WARNING FOR
PARTS OF THE CWA. CURRENTLY, PARTS OF CENLA APPEAR TO HAVE THE
MOST HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE LOWER RHS AND 20FT WINDS IN
THE 7 TO 12KT RANGE. WHILE MINRH ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-10 WILL
BE A TAD BIT HIGHER, 20FT WINDS WILL BE IN THE 10 TO 15KT RANGE.
WINDS WILL TURN BACK OUT OF THE SOUTH SUNDAY WITH HUMIDITY
INCREASING ONCE AGAIN IN RESPONSE. A WARM, HUMID PATTERN BECOMES
REESTABLISHED THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
AEX 60 86 51 71 / 0 0 0 0
LCH 63 83 56 75 / 0 0 0 0
LFT 63 84 57 74 / 0 0 0 0
BPT 63 84 56 75 / 0 0 0 0
LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
LA...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY FOR
LAZ027>033-044-045-055-073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-
252>254.
TX...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY FOR
TXZ515-516-615-616.
GM...NONE.
SHORT TERM...87
LONG TERM....87
AVIATION...87
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