FXUS64 KLCH 221730 AFDLCH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 1230 PM CDT Sun Mar 22 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... - A persistent southerly flow will bring in a warm Gulf air mass that will allow for above seasonal temperatures this week with some afternoon highs nearing daily records. - Upper level ridging and dry air aloft will help keep any chance of rain out of the forecast into next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 200 AM CDT Sun Mar 22 2026 A significant mid-level high-pressure system is located to our west, over New Mexico/Arizona. At the surface, high pressure is located in the eastern Gulf and will keep our winds southerly, pushing warm, moist air north. The persistent southerly flow will keep the surface moist enough to cause patchy fog, mainly along the coast, along with cloudy mornings. Even with the center of the ridge well to our west, 500 mb heights will remain near the 90th percentile for the remainder of the forecast. For the rest of the weekend and going into next week, our weather pattern will remain fairly consistent, with any day- to-day changes expected to be minor. High temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above normal, with highs in the mid to upper 80s. Expect near-record-breaking heat, and Friday of next week, there is around a 20% chance we could see highs in the 90s for parts of central Louisiana and parts of southeast Texas. Even though we are not in the heat of summer yet, make sure to stay cool and hydrated! Rain chances will remain near zero for the rest of the weekend and into next week. A backdoor cold front will move across the region from the northeast on Tuesday. However, the main impact will be a slight decrease in humidity. Near the middle of next week, models have started to hint at the possibility of an increase in rain chances, but there is not enough confidence to increase rain chances yet. With the hot and dry weather, expect drought conditions to worsen over the next week. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1224 PM CDT Sun Mar 22 2026 Southerly flow in the low level will continue for the remainder of the afternoon bringing in Gulf moisture. Meanwhile, dry air in the mid and upper levels will keep any clouds that develop from forming into showers. Ceilings will be mainly at VFR for the remainder of the afternoon. Tonight, skies will become clear with winds becoming light. This should allow good radiational cooling to take place to allow residual low level moisture to condense into low clouds and fog. LIFR conditions expected at KBPT/KLCH/KLFT/KARA after 23/08z with IFR/MVFR for KAEX after 23/09z. Conditions will improve between 23/14-16z as winds increase and daytime heating occurs. 07/Rua && .MARINE... Issued at 200 AM CDT Sun Mar 22 2026 High pressure will lead to persistent light to moderate onshore flow. Waves remain below four feet for the remainder of the week. Rain and thunderstorm chances will remain near zero for the rest of the forecast. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 200 AM CDT Sun Mar 22 2026 Dry and warm weather will continue for the rest of the weekend and through next week as high pressure dominates our weather pattern. High pressure to our east is causing persistent southerly flow, with RH recovering to near 100% each night. During the afternoon, persistent sunshine and above-seasonal temperatures will cause RH values to drop to the 40 to 50% range. KBDI values are between 250 to 350, and there is no chance for substantial rain in the forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AEX 85 58 83 56 / 0 0 0 0 LCH 79 61 81 61 / 0 0 0 0 LFT 81 61 82 61 / 0 0 0 0 BPT 81 61 83 61 / 0 0 0 0 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...Dense Fog Advisory from 3 AM to 9 AM CDT Monday for LAZ030>033- 044-045-055-073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-252>254. TX...Dense Fog Advisory from 3 AM to 9 AM CDT Monday for TXZ201-261- 262-515-516-615-616. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...14 LONG TERM....14 AVIATION...07