Cameron, LA to High Island, TX 20 - 60 NM Marine Forecast
| Tonight...Southwest Winds 10 To 15 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 2 Feet At 4 Seconds. |
| Friday...West Winds Around 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 2 Feet At 4 Seconds. |
| Friday Night...Southwest Winds 10 To 15 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 2 Feet At 4 Seconds. |
| Saturday...West Winds 10 To 15 Knots, Diminishing To 5 To 10 Knots In The Afternoon. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 2 Feet At 4 Seconds. |
| Saturday Night...Southwest Winds Around 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: South 2 Feet At 5 Seconds. |
| Sunday...West Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 2 Feet At 5 Seconds. |
| Sunday Night...Southwest Winds Around 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. |
| Monday...Southwest Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet In The Morning, Then 1 Foot Or Less. |
| Monday Night...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. |
| Tuesday...Southwest Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet In The Morning, Then 1 Foot Or Less. |
| Tuesday Night...South Winds 5 To 10 Knots. Seas Around 2 Feet. |
| Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 1133pm CDT Thu August 20 2026 (Tonight through next Thursday) Issued at 1125pm CDT Thu August 20 2026 A substantial 500 mb heat dome is centered near the Four Corners region in the Desert Southwest with heigheights around 598 dm. Overhead 500 mb heigheights are a little lower around 594 dm, but still near the 95th percentile for heigheights this time of year. At the surface, high pressure in the eastern Gulf will continue to bring light south winds to the area. There are two main concerns for tomorrow: heat and severe weather. Let’s start with the more impactful heat forecast. Afternoon highs will continue to climb, with temperatures well into the triple digits for central Louisiana and the interior portions of southeast Texas. For those locations, an Excessive Heat Warning has been issued. For the rest of the region, temperatures will make a decent run at triple digits even down to the I-10 corridor, with DESI probabilities showing around a 40% chance that Lake Charles will reach 100°F on Friday. Because of these temperatures, a Heat Advisory is in place across the coast. While the rest of the region has been upgraded to an Excessive Heat Warning. The main saving grace the past several days has been the mixing of lower dew points aloft down to the surface. Moisture from the remnants of an MCS (Mesoscale Convective System, a complex of thunderstorms which becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms) to our north will move south overnight. Forecast soundings show RH values at the low levels increasing in response, with RH at 850 mb rising from 50% to 70% while values at 700 mb increase from 40% to 60%. With the lack of dry air mixing down, it will feel like a sauna across the region, and heat index values will soar above 110°F area-wide. Heat safety should be a priority on Friday and Saturday! Make sure to take breaks from the heat and stay well-hydrated. The second major concern for tomorrow is the possibility of severe weather. A Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) is expected to move south as it enters our area. Strong daytime heating, combined with a moist air mass, will create an environment favorable for strong to severe thunderstorms. High-resolution convective-allowing model (CAM) soundings show surface-based CAPE values between 2500 and 3000 J/kg, with DCAPE values around 1200 J/kg. While shear values are limited—with 0–6 km bulk shear less than 20 knots—this setup supports water-loaded microburst. Consequently, the Storm Prediction Center has placed our area under a Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5), with damaging straight-line winds being the primary threat. CAMs indicate this line will reach the coast; given the recent dry conditions, any rainfall will be beneficial. For the rest of the forecast, we are looking at a more transitional pattern. The 500 mb ridge that has been locked overhead will erode, allowing a series of troughs to rotate around the ridge, bringing more chances for widespread rain next week. Even with the increase in rain, temperatures will still remain in the mid to upper 90s. Marine Issued at 1125pm CDT Thu August 20 2026 Light to moderate south-southwest flow will continue for the next several days. Overnight on Friday we could see a few showers and thunderstorms along the coast but probabilities remain unlikely, around 20%. Waves will remain below 3 feet through the weekend and into next week. Fire Weather Issued at 1125pm CDT Thu August 20 2026 A large fire broke out close to U.S. 171 near Leesville that required multiple fire departments to contain. Large fuels are showing stress, with dead 10-hour fuels at ~12% Fuel Moisture (FM) and 1-hour fuels below 10% FM. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, with the latest CAMs showing an uptick in rain chances, especially for central Louisiana. The extent of the rainfall will be spotty, but enough areas should get a wetting rain to put a dent in the KBDI values, which currently sit between 650 and 700. For more information on the severe threat, please see the forecast discussion. Over the weekend, conditions will not improve much as minRH values will be in the mid-30s. The only reason we are unlikely to issue fire weather products is a lack of winds, with speeds forecasted to be light and variable. Still, multiple burn bans are in place across the region and outdoor burning should be discouraged. NOAA Lake Charles LA Office: Watches - Warnings - Advisories LA...Extreme Heat Warning from 10am to 8pm CDT Friday for LAZ027>033-044-045-055-141>143-152>154-241>243. Heat Advisory from 10am to 8pm CDT Friday for LAZ073-074- 252>254. TX...Extreme Heat Warning from 10am to 8pm CDT Friday for TXZ180- 201-259>262-515-516-615-616. GM...None. |
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