Sleet in N.O.?

[Stormcenter]

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
310 PM CDT THU APR 5 2007

.SHORT TERM...

A RIDGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH
NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUING ALOFT. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.

.LONG TERM...

THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE PRECIP THIS WEEKEND. SATURDAY MORNING
A SHORTWAVE WILL BE MOVING EASTWARD FROM NORTHERN MEXICO AS A
TROUGH MOVES SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS STATES/MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY...WRAPPING AROUND THE UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHEASTERN
STATES. PRECIP SHOULD BE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.
THEN BY SATURDAY NIGHT THE SHORTWAVE OVER TEXAS WILL BE MOVING
EASTWARD...JUST AHEAD OF THE TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS/MID-
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. PRECIP WILL BE SPREADING INTO LOUISIANA AND
THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. LATE SATURDAY NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY
MORNING COULD BE INTERESTING IN OUR AREA. SURFACE TEMPS COULD
FALL TO NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING SUNDAY MORNING. MODEL SOUNDINGS
HAVE MUCH OF THE ATMOSPHERE BELOW FREEZING AT 06Z AND 12Z...WITH
A SLIGHT RISE ABOVE FREEZING BETWEEN 750-825HPA AND AGAIN BELOW
ABOUT 950HPA TOWARD SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. THIS WOULD LEAD TO A
CHANCE FOR SLEET IN THE AREA. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH YET
THAT THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN WILL COOL THAT FAR...SURFACE TEMPS
WILL FALL BELOW FREEZING...AND THERE WILL BE AMPLE MOISTURE TO
PRECIPITATE THAT FAR NORTH OF THE SURFACE LOW/TROUGH OVER THE
GULF. FOR NOW THE FORECAST IS LIGHT RAIN WITH TEMPS FALLING TO
JUST ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS SOUTHWEST/SOUTH-CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
AND EAST-CENTRAL LOUISIANA. WINDS SHOULD ALSO BE STRONG WITH THIS
SYSTEM...LEADING TO SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS AGAIN FRIDAY
NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY.

[Opal storm]

Unbelievable!Just a week ago we had highs near 90 degrees.Our local met said we could see all time record lows this weekend.

[Janie2006]

Surprising temperatures for Easter. We generally have a good cool snap right before the holiday, but I think this one is going in the record books. I'm not enthusiastic about the chances for sleet, though.

[Opal storm]

New Orleans is still mentioning sleet in the forecast but I give it about a 1% chance of happening considering the Mobile AFD,they sound a lot more realistic.

N.O AFD:

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IN AZ MOVES RAPIDLY EAST REACHING THE SOUTH
TEXAS COAST TONIGHT WHERE IT WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA. THE LOW WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST
TOWARDS THE LOUISIANA DELTA ON SUNDAY. RAIN WILL SPREAD INTO THE
COASTAL AREA OVERNIGHT AND INLAND ON SUNDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS
INDICATE THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SLEET DURING THE
PREDAWN HOURS ON SUNDAY MAINLY OVER SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AND
BORDERING LOUISIANA PARISHES.

[CajunMama]

I dunno OS, it's sleeting here in Lafayette and we're west of NO.

[HoumaLa]

IT is sleeting as I type here in Houma LA

[TS Zack]

Sleeting in Harvey as I type this..... AMAZING!

[cajungal]

Sleeting here and I live 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. Just south of Thibodaux. It was literally pouring sleet not that long ago. Seems to tapered off for now.

[canetracker]

It is sleeting here in Harahan, and got reports that it is sleeting in Metairie close to the New Orleans line.

[ktulu909]

Sleeting in gretna as well.

[UptownMary]

Yep, it sleeted in the heart of NO the day before Easter! It started around 3:30 as I left ot go run errands, and continued while I was out driving around. Lasted less than an hour, but I definitely had tiny ice balls hitting my windshield and piling up on the glass while I was parked.

[HurryKane]

I too saw it sleeting in NOLA when I got in the car at 3:15ish or so this afternoon. Couldn't believe my eyes.

[Rainband]

Wow the weather is wild lately, drive safe. If it sleeted here I wouldn't be on the road for anything

[Opal storm]

Wow looks like I'm the only one NOT getting sleet.Hope some of it comes over my way later tonight but I'm not optimistic about it.These clouds probably aren't going to allow the temps to drop low enough.

You guys enjoy your Easter sleet.

[Sean in New Orleans]

I drove around the city this afternoon running errands. I started in Bywater, went to Carrollton to Home Depot, swung back Uptown and went to Sav-A-Center and it sleeted the entire time. There was no rain...it was straight sleet only. It lasted for about an hour and a half. I called my Mother when it first started sleeting and talked to her later and she asked me if it was still sleeting and I say it was. She couldn't believe it, she was like, I talked to you over an hour ago and it was sleeting. It was unbelievable. Ice pellets all over my windshield the entire time.

[MississippiHurricane]

We got a little sleet here and a few snow flakes. This is some crazy weather. From close to records highs in the 90's to record lows in the 30's. Supposed to be 28 here tonight. We went from summer to winter: no spring weather type. But we have a chance for severe weather Tuesday night and a better chance Friday. Enjoy the sleet/snow flakes neighbors!

[MiamiensisWx]

This is associated with conditions behind the surface front and trough that exited southern Florida over the past two days (the secondary surface boundary cleared the area today). With good mixing the sleet conditions for the Gulf coast and interior regions have verified. The vigorous boundary has aided colder air and these air masses have reached the surface in many regions in the deep Southeast. Progged lows for tonight are expected to reach the middle 40s in the interior regions of south Florida and the lows are expected to dip into the middle and upper 50s (localized temperatures could reach the lower 50s in the northern regions and at vicinities further inland) in the coastal regions of southeast Florida from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade counties.

[HeeBGBz]

It was sleeting here in Biloxi about 15 minutes ago. That was just the start of the precip for the evening. It's stopped now.

[Opal storm]

It was sleeting here in Biloxi about 15 minutes ago. That was just the start of the precip for the evening. It's stopped now.

You're going to be getting a lot more,the NWS has sleet/snow forecasted in your area.There's much heavier precip that is coming from SE/central LA.

[Opal storm]

Oh boy!

NWS forecast for Pensacola:

Sunday: A chance of rain and sleet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.