The National Weather Service in New Orleans issued a dense fog advisory early this morning, cautioning residents of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi about reduced visibility on the roads. According to their latest weather update, the advisory remains in effect until 9 AM CST today, indicating that visibility could drop to one-quarter mile or less in dense fog. The Dense Fog Advisory warns that such low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous, advising motorists to slow down, use low beam headlights, and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.
Despite the foggy start, the NWS forecast today predicts widespread dense fog mainly before 9 am, which is expected to clear up as the day progresses. The afternoon should bring mostly sunny skies with temperatures climbing to a high near 78°F, accompanied by a light southeast wind gaining momentum in the morning. However, the pleasantness is short-lived, as a 50 percent chance of showers looms, mostly after 4 am tonight, with new precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Going into Friday, conditions are likely to turn wet with a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 3 pm, followed by a chance of more showers and thunderstorms later in the day. The NWS expects new rainfall amounts to range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. While patchy fog is anticipated to linger before 11 am, the day should see partly sunny skies and a high near 80°F, with a south wind blowing at 5 to 10 mph.
The weekend outlook appears more favorable, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday should be mostly sunny with highs again hovering around the 80°F mark, while Saturday night may only see a few clouds with a low around 65°F. Despite the potentially clear skies, a calm wind from the south is expected to become a north wind after midnight, twisting the temperature slightly cooler for the night dwellers. Sunday continues the trend of sunny conditions with a high near 79°F and winds turning southeast in the afternoon.
As we move into next week, the forecast predicts mostly sunny weather for Monday, with a high near 78°F, but clouds are set to gather once again by Monday night, bringing a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. The pattern of rain interspersed with sunshine will likely continue through the early part of the week, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday and a slight chance of showers on Wednesday, coupled with partly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-70s.
