Latest on Acadiana’s Severe Threat for Saturday Morning

A potent system will be impacting the deep south this coming Friday and Saturday, which could lead to a multi-day severe event across many states.

The highest threat for impacts to Acadiana are expected to be felt on Saturday morning. Most models, the NAM-Nest is shown below, showcase a powerful line of storms moving into western parts of state at approximately 3:00 am Saturday morning. The main line reaches Lafayette around 6:00 am- 8:00 am. This is an approximation from the models with the severe threat ending around late-morning for Acadiana as the line marches east towards Mississippi.

All modes of severe weather look possible, if not likely, for our area. Damaging winds are the primary threat but strong, long lived tornadoes are a possibility, too. We think that threat will remain north and east of Acadiana, but the dynamics will be close to southern Louisiana. The significant tornado model is shown below, which displays a greater threat across northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and Mississippi for these stronger tornadoes. Also, below is a look at the instability for Saturday which is on the low to medium side but this is only one component in severe weather forecasting. There will be enough instability for severe weather, and wind shear will be high, so that may increase the tornado threat.

The Storm Prediction Center is issuing outlooks for Friday and Saturday. Impacts are expected from Texas all the way to Alabama from this system. Their “Enhanced Risk” category is placed across all of Acadiana and the entire state of Louisiana. This is considered a medium to high threat for severe weather in the outlined area. A “Moderate Risk” is now in place for northwestern Louisiana. Timing and impacts are still being adjusted as we get closer to Saturday as the confidence grows for timing and impacts.

Now is the time to download the KLFY Weather App. It is the most advanced weather app you can have on your phone. 

It will alert you to severe weather where ever you are in the world. With it’s GEO Targeting tools, it will give you the latest hour by hour forecasts and 10 days forecasts for where you are at the moment.

If you have an Android phone, you can download it at the Google store by clicking here.

If you have an Apple phone, can you download it at the Apple Store by clicking here.