New Orleans is spending this Monday getting pushed around by the weather, waking up to a cloudy, blustery start in the mid-50s (about 57°F) after a cold front rolled through overnight. Northwest winds will ramp up through the day, with sustained speeds near 20 mph and afternoon gusts close to 40 mph. Those stronger gusts, paired with drier air, could knock out power in a few spots and make life tricky for high-profile vehicles on the roads.
Afternoon Winds Pick Up
A Wind Advisory is posted through 7 p.m. CDT, calling for northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 40 mph. Over the coastal waters, gale conditions are expected, and on land a Red Flag Warning for elevated fire danger is in place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT. Inland parishes are also under a Freeze Watch late tonight into Tuesday morning. All of these hazards come from the National Weather Service office in New Orleans; see NWS New Orleans for detailed maps and official timing.
Tonight And This Week
Clouds should thin out by this evening, but temperatures are headed down, with lows near 39°F and some inland and northshore spots possibly dipping below freezing before sunrise Tuesday. Tuesday itself looks cooler and mostly sunny, with a high near 56°F, then a steady warmup nudges highs into the 70s and 80s by later in the week. If you have sensitive plants, bring them inside tonight, and take a moment to secure patio furniture and trash cans so they do not go flying in the gusts.
Local Context
This blustery setup follows a busy run of storms and weather watches across southeast Louisiana; for background, see our coverage of twister trouble in the bayou from March 11. For the latest official notices and any changes to advisories, keep an eye on NWS New Orleans and your parish emergency channels.
