WEATHER WATCH: Torrential downpours in forecast

Southwest Louisiana will be experiencing a wet pattern through the weekend with the possibility of torrential downpours that could lead to flooding.

Joe Rua, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office, said a frontal boundary is moving into the region and is expected to interact with a moist air mass when it arrives.

“This will lead to slow-moving torrential down pours with high rain rates,” Rua said. “The possibility of high rain rates in a short period of time may cause drainage and runoff issues, especially for streets and urban poor drainage areas.”

The frontal boundary is expected to arrive today and then stall on Friday into the weekend.

Rua said the stronger thunderstorms will have the likelihood of producing rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour.

“The heavy rainfall and for now, low-end flood potential will persist through the weekend as the frontal system will stall and the very moist air mass
will remain in place,” Rua said.

Temperatures Friday through Sunday are expected to be in the mid-to-high 80s and low 90s.