Big heat will return to the Baton Rouge area this weekend with heat index values climbing up to 108°F, making common sense outdoors a priority. Relief from the intense heat arrives by the middle of next week as a tropical moisture wave brings back daily rounds of heavy downpours and thunderstorms.
Weekend Sizzle: several highs in the mid-90s, heat alerts possible
Dusty Tropics: Saharan layer stops tropical development, brings colorful sunsets
Next Boost in T-Storms: isolated afternoon activity by the middle of next week
This Weekend: A ridge of high pressure in the atmosphere will tighten its grip on the region this weekend into next week. The ridge overhead results in warm, sinking air that squashes most thunderstorm development and causes warmer temperatures. Afternoons will soar into the mid 90s. Since the region is so green and wet from recent heavy rain, the air will feel extra thick as lush plants release moisture into the atmosphere in a process known as evapotranspiration. The heat and humidity combination will result in feels-like temperatures between 108 – 112 degrees, especially on Sunday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has already issued Heat Advisories around the tidal lakes, and those safety alerts may expand to Baton Rouge very soon. Limit outdoor activities during the peak afternoon hours, drink plenty of water, and protect pets from the hot pavement.
The first major Saharan dust plume will track across the Gulf Coast late this weekend into early next week. This dry air mass acts as a natural shield against tropical development by choking out the moisture that storms need to grow and thrive. Additionally, dust particles create hazy daytime skies before scattering the light rays to produce vivid, fiery-orange sunsets. Haze was already noticed across the region on Thursday. Sometimes, the dust concentrations can be thick enough to lower air quality so that potential health issues will need to be monitored for anyone with a breathing sensitivity.
Up Next: Monday will bring more of the exact same intense summer heat. The big ridge will still be firmly in place, keeping rain chances very low and afternoon temperatures hovering in the mid-to-upper 90s. By Tuesday, the weather pattern will undergo a shift. That ridge will lift north toward the Mid-South, opening the door for an "easterly wave" to slide into our area from the Gulf. This wave is simply a pocket of low pressure loaded with tropical moisture. It will bring back scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday.
By Wednesday and Thursday, rain coverage will spike significantly. The influx of deep tropical moisture will allow downpours and even some gusty afternoon thunderstorms. While these storms will successfully knock our afternoon temperatures back down to the more comfortable lower 90s and eliminate the need for heat alerts, they will bring back a familiar threat for localized street flooding.
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The Tropics: For the North Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean, all is quiet. No development is expected over the next seven days.
– Josh
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