Louisiana is a state of abundance. Unfortunately for us the abundance that we enjoy in our wonderful food and joie de vivre also applies to our weather. It's very seldom if ever that Louisiana weather is "absolutely" perfect. However, we probably have more good days than bad. But when we have a bad day, it's a really bad day especially where weather is concerned.

While we, unfortunately, can't pin down when the next heavy downpour will fill the lanes of Ambassador Caffery Parkway with stalled cars and high water nor can we tell you exactly which days this summer will feature a heat index well into the triple digits, what we can do is give you a general consensus of what weather conditions will be like for the next three months.

How Hot is it Going to Be?

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As you can see from the graphic provided by the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service that the thinking about temperatures across Louisiana and the Gulf South is hot. Forecasters are giving most of us in South Louisiana a 40% to 50% probability that our temperatures this summer will be warmer than normal.

If you're wondering what "normal" is. For Lafayette, the average high temperature in June is 89.2 degrees. In July it's 89.8 degrees. And in August it's an even 90 degrees. And yes, we are supposed to be warmer than that.

How Much Rain Will Fall?

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As you can see from the graphic provided by NOAA that forecasters believe we will be a little wetter than we might normally be during the summer months. On average in June we will see rain on about 15 of the 30 days. Most of that rain will come in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. The average rainfall for June in Lafayette is just under two inches.

Oddly enough rainfall totals and days with rainfall actually increase in July and August. August is our state's wettest month, well at least in South Louisiana. We generally see close to three inches of rain in August with rainfall occurring on an average of 20 days during the months.

What About the Tropics?

Of course, these numbers can be skewed greatly by the appearance of a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA says the probability of a tropical cyclone making landfall along Louisiana's coast is about 30% this year. Last year the state was struck by five tropical cyclones including three major hurricanes.

The Bottom Line.

We are already starting to see the seasonal shift in the South Louisiana weather pattern. Currently, our forecast is calling for a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms brought on by high humidity and daytime heating. That's just how the summer months will go. So do expect to sweat and get rained on sometimes at the same time.

Since you're now up to speed on this Summer's weather, let's get you up to speed on some other interesting information you only thought you knew about Louisiana.

Some Common Myths about Louisiana Debunked

 

 

 

 

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