Tagged News

• Looking long-term: What the latest weather outlook for March doesn't tell you Play Video

  February 20, 2024 5:45 PM

  Though warm for the last week of February, Mother Nature may flip the script for the month of March. The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center reveals much of the Deep South having a shot at seeing below normal temperatures. If you put a number on it, southeast... more »

• 50 Years Ago: tornadoes cut through Capital City, much of Louisiana

  December 4, 2023 10:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - 50 years ago Monday, a strong tornado touched down in the Capital City before tracking 39 miles to Amite City, injuring 3 and causing over $2 million in damage. The twister was one of several to touch down across the state. On December 3, 1973, a... more »

• Another record set as streak ends

  September 14, 2023 7:30 PM

  For the first time in 99 days, Metro Airport in Baton Rouge failed to reach a high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher. At 89 degrees, Thursday saw the lowest high temperature since June 6. 99 straight days of highs at 90 degrees or higher is a new record... more »

• What El Nino Watch means for Louisiana and Mississippi

  April 19, 2023 7:06 PM

  An El Niño Watch has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Experts at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) that monitor global patterns issue a watch when conditions favor the development of El Niño within the next six months. The watch is significant... more »

• Inside The Weather: The Seasons, Explained Play Video

  March 31, 2023 7:40 PM

  Most people recognize the astronomical seasons. Meteorologists use the climatological seasons. What is the difference and how are they determined? WBRZ Chief Meteorologist Dr. Josh Eachus, explains why in the associated video. You can always find the latest river levels on wbrz.com/weather, right HERE . For more Inside... more »

• Cool air for Christmas? Carl Rossby might be your Santa Claus

  December 7, 2022 10:18 PM

  ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, the air conditioner was running because we live in the south. That’s how it goes, right? Last holiday season, the Baton Rouge Area was on a heater. The high temperature reached 78 degrees on Christmas Eve. Then, the thermometer... more »

• Halloween weather has had a few tricks over the years

  October 26, 2022 6:39 PM

  Over the years, weather on Halloween in Baton Rouge has been mostly cooperative. It looks as though 2022 will be a treat for candy collectors as well. The warmest Halloween on record was a just a few years ago when afternoon high temperatures hit 88 degrees in 2016. Back... more »

• NOAA expects La Nina to develop by fall or winter Play Video

  July 19, 2021 6:37 PM

  While the top line of a La Niña pattern usually steers conversation toward the tropics, as of late July, there may be a more pressing question for Gulf Coast residents. Will the wet weather pattern ever let up? To date, Baton Rouge Metro Airport has registered 54.29 inches... more »

• La Nina impacts expected to carry into winter

  September 10, 2020 10:43 PM

  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a La Niña Advisory . Parts of the United States may begin adjusting for unusual weather during the upcoming cool season. La Niña conditions are present when sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in in the central Pacific Ocean are 0.5°C cooler... more »

• More than halfway home on the heat

  July 30, 2020 7:36 PM

  Statistically and historically, the Baton Rouge area has reached an important milestone on the high summer heat to which we are so accustomed. The transition from July to August marks the halfway point between the two hottest months in an average year. Using average as a benchmark, the automated surface... more »

• Hurricanes are not just a coastal problem

  May 19, 2020 10:33 AM

  On average, over a two year period, 3 hurricanes strike United States coastline with one of them being considered major. Research on tropical cyclone return periods shows that Louisiana averages a hurricane strike every 7-8 years. The last was Hurricane Zeta in late October 2020. Prior to Zeta was Hurricane... more »

• Baton Rouge area facing hottest September on record Play Video

  September 16, 2019 1:15 PM

  With high temperatures eclipsing 90 degrees every day so far this month, and above average temperatures expected to continue, the Baton Rouge area will very likely set its hottest September on record. In addition to weeks of above average temperatures, Metro Airport has only recorded rain on one day in... more »

• Shorter cold stretches, less winter

  February 15, 2019 11:31 AM

  From breathtaking ice sculptures to the frozen pants challenge , people were buzzing around the polar outbreak in late January. However, just five days later, few took notice when Chicago temperatures climbed to a record high minimum . With temperature swings of 70°F or more around the Midwest, concerns shifted... more »

• Coldest air in decades expected for Great Lakes Region Play Video

  January 24, 2019 12:53 PM

  Some of the coldest air in 20 to 30 years is expected in the Great Lakes Region by the middle of next week. Computer forecast model guidance is agreeing on low temperatures below -10° with some numbers as extreme as -30° showing up for big cities like Minneapolis and Chicago.... more »

• Santa and the Arctic

  December 12, 2018 10:43 AM

  For those planning a destination holiday or dreaming of a White Christmas, few times in the year bring more curiosity in the long-term forecast than now. While reliability remains low at the two-week mark, as of December 12, numerical weather prediction offers something a bit more tangible than just “above”... more »

• 2018 Hurricane Season ends

  November 28, 2018 12:14 PM

  The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially concluded on November 30, and will be remembered most for hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused significant damage in the southeastern U.S. In total, the season produced 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes of which two were “major” (Category 3, 4 or 5). An... more »

• Warmer temperatures changing fish behaviors

  August 23, 2018 9:45 AM

  Each year, more than 49 million Americans fish recreationally in freshwater rivers and lakes. Some fish to relax, and some for the thrill. But in a changing climate, a new generation of anglers will have to get used to conditions far different from those of... more »

• Today's forecast, August outlook, tropical update Play Video

  August 2, 2018 6:37 AM

  The first week of August will bring standard weather. Temperatures will be close to normal with isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms in the area—especially during the afternoon hours. On Wednesday, rain fell in 30 percent of the area, as expected. Feast or famine with summertime showers, while 70 percent... more »

• NOAA: warmer than average spring in the Baton Rouge area

  March 20, 2018 1:28 PM

  NOAA issued its three-month U.S. Spring Outlook today, highlighting a moderate risk of flooding in the Ohio River Valley basin and lower Mississippi River where streamflows and soil moisture are well above normal after major flooding from recent heavy rainfall. Drought is forecast to persist or worsen in the... more »

• That time when it was 14, warmer from here Play Video

  March 20, 2018 6:48 AM

  Spring starts at 11:15 Tuesday. Of astronomical significance, the start of spring is the vernal equinox meaning the celestial equator of the sun passes earth’s equator from south to north. Of meteorological significance, that means heat season is on the way! THE FORECAST: Today and Tonight: The spring... more »

• Something to turn your nose at: many allergy reports not worth a sneeze

  March 14, 2018 10:01 PM

  According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Louisiana’s Capital City is among the worst to live in if you suffer from spring allergies. Like the tropics in summer or Saturday afternoons in the fall, Louisianans check the pollen count regularly. But according to experts, depending on your source,... more »

• Ending the warmest February on record in the 80s Play Video

  February 28, 2018 7:14 AM

  Appropriately so, the Baton Rouge area will wrap up the warmest February on record with well above average temperatures. Another cold front will send seasonable air our way by Friday. THE FORECAST: Today and Tonight: Wednesday afternoon highs will get back into the low to mid 80s with... more »

• Have we had our last freeze?

  February 17, 2018 7:21 PM

  Can I plant my garden? That has been a popular question coming into the WBRZ Weather Team via email, Facebook and Twitter over the last week. Of course, the answer hinges on a forecast that stretches beyond the standard next 7-Days and one known to be beyond the reliable bounds... more »

• Punxsutawney Phil prognosticates more winter

  February 2, 2018 7:41 AM

  PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- The famous forecasting groundhog saw his shadow on Friday morning for just the 19th time since the holiday began. more »

• Same clothes suit the next several days Play Video

  January 23, 2018 6:56 AM

  Quiet and seasonable weather is ahead for the remainder of the week. High and low temperatures will be within 5 degrees of each other through the week, so no major wardrobe shifts will be necessary in the near term! Only by Friday will clouds increase with the slight chance for... more »

• Springfield couple's weather pictures go viral Play Video

  December 10, 2017 7:27 PM

  SPRINGFIELD - Those who call Louisiana home are used to the unpredictable weather. One day wearing shorts, the next day needing a winter coat. One man, James Verbois, captured the extremes from his patio perch. "Periodically you get bit in Louisiana," Verbois said. "Whether it be a hurricane or... more »

• By the Numbers: Hurricanes shatter records in 2017

  November 29, 2017 11:55 AM

  The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season was well above average, as forecast, with multiple basin statistics ranking in the top ten through recorded history (1851). The season began early when Arlene formed on April 19 and ended when Rina dissipated on November 9. There were 17 named... more »

• The second severe weather season

  November 1, 2017 12:04 PM

  As the calendar flips to November, the Gulf South moves into the middle of what is known as the second severe weather season . Often, thunderstorms and tornadoes are associated with spring; but as periodic cold fronts move in from the north, a clash with lingering warmth and humidity can... more »

• NOAA: warmer, drier winter expected in the Baton Rouge area

  October 19, 2017 11:26 AM

  According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi can expect warmer and drier than average weather this winter. The outlook comes from the agency’s annual long-term winter forecast, which was issued on Thursday. Typical winter highs and lows for the Baton Rouge area are about 64... more »

• Busy hurricane season is not over yet Play Video

  September 28, 2017 12:45 PM

  With 5 major hurricanes in the books, a storm weary United States coastline hopes that October will bring the historically expected downturn in tropical activity. However, it is much too soon to breathe a sigh of relief. In 2017, storms have torn across the central and... more »

• Baton Rouge: wet summer kept 95ers in check Play Video

  September 25, 2017 12:22 PM

  It has always been hot and humid along the Gulf Coast during the summer season. In 2017 though, heat may have been kept from getting excessive, by an uptick in rainy days and total precipitation. Not saying it was cool, but summer 2017 could have been hotter... more »

• Massive iceberg Larsen C breaks free

  July 12, 2017 7:25 PM

  Scientists have watched as a crack in the Antarctic Peninsula’s Larsen C ice shelf has grown across the shelf, allowing a massive amount of ice to break away. Now that this new iceberg is free of the ice shelf, it will drift north into the Southern Ocean. Multiple smaller icebergs... more »

• Many factors play into record warm winter

  March 3, 2017 2:16 PM

  Baton Rouge - The Southeastern U.S. has wrapped up one of its warmest winters on record. For instance, since data collection began at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in 1930, no winter has seen more days reach 80°F. There were 23 of them, normally there are four, and the previous record... more »

• Rivers crest above flood stage after near-record wet stretch

  January 23, 2017 11:02 AM

  The new year is picking up where 2016 left off—wet. So far, the Baton Rouge area is running a 5.57 inch surplus in the rain gauges on the heels of one of the wettest stretches in January history. 6.65 inches fell from January 19-22. However, the three-day span from... more »

• Summer Summary: record rain and lots of humidity

  September 22, 2016 2:00 PM

  For Baton Rouge, the summer of 2016 will go down as the wettest ever recorded. The Great Flood of 2016 was responsible for approximately 40 percent of 44 inches of rain. Even without that record three day total of 17.5 inches, this year would have gone down as one of... more »

• Obama summons Americans to compromise and change

  January 13, 2016 4:01 AM

  WASHINGTON D.C.- President Barack Obama is casting his seven divisive years as a time of positive change, implicitly asking voters to replace him with a Democrat who would continue his hard-won policies on health care, climate change and Iran. Obama used his final State of the Union address to summon... more »

• No surprise ending, year to wrap up warmer

  December 2, 2015 1:32 PM

  Fall forecasts were right on in projecting a warm, dry north and wet south for the fall months. As the United States transitions into winter, 2015 figures to wrap up with much of the same. In Southeastern Louisiana, an El Niño controlled pattern has produced one of the... more »

• Nasty weather on the way, is El Nino at work?

  November 13, 2015 2:50 PM

  As expected, a fall season featuring El Niño has been active in the Southern United States. So far, record breaking rain events have grabbed headlines, but severe storms may be the next act. One week after damaging winds and white-out wintry weather in the Midwest, a similar set... more »

• Fall freezes getting later in Baton Rouge

  November 5, 2015 4:19 PM

  Fall fanatics along the Gulf Coast have been asking, “shouldn’t it be cooler by now?” Meanwhile, warm weather lovers have nothing to complain about. Since September 1, temperatures have run 2.9° above average in Baton Rouge. A ridge dominating the Eastern United States has kept numbers up... more »

• Drought to Deluge: Gulf Coast soaker just a start?

  October 27, 2015 2:34 PM

  The shift is on along the Gulf Coast. For those tuned in to climate changes, this is no surprise. For others, get ready for wholesale alterations. Summer was dry. Typical afternoon convection was squashed by a persistent mid-level ridge from July to October. A comfortable... more »