New Orleans NWS

[TS Zack]

This Afternoon: Sunny and cold, with a temperature falling to around -30 by 3pm. Wind chill values between -53 and -43. East wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Areas of fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a steady temperature around -30. Wind chill values between -53 and -46. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Wednesday: Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a high near 70. Heat index values as high as 121. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.

LOL look at the NWS site out of New Orleans. Never seen below zero temperatures one day then triple digit readings the next.

[cctxhurricanewatcher]

Sounds like the mets at NWS New Orleans are celebrating Mardi Gras a little early.

[TS Zack]

Mardi Gras starts in a week.

January 6 it begins so not to early.

[Steve]

They do deserve a serious bash in the head with a cast-iron skillet for their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day forecasts. They screwed over a lot of people who rely on them. Let me preface what I'm going to say by adding I think the NO/BR NWS usually does a pretty good job.

Okay, I was wrapping my wife's Christmas presents at about 2:30am on Christmas morning and also hiding clues for my kids' computer. On and off, I was on Storm 2k, various weather sites and the NWS. Even into early morning Saturday they showed a 10% chance of mixed precip for Friday night and Saturday morning. When it was obvious the sleet had started, they eventually issued a "Winter Weather Advisory" noting that there was little chance of any accumulations but that there would probably be some wintry mix with a slight chance that some overpasses and bridges could get some ice on them. After a few hours of sleet (and let me say it sleeted-snowed-mixed from 10am through 5pm in Metairie), they finally updated it to a Winter Storm Warning. The problem was, nearly every bridge in the city was closed down (exceptions were the I-10 High Rise, the GNO Bridge across the Mississippi River and the Twin Span over to Slidell. Even the Airline/Causeway overpass was shut down and that's not even over water. So if you were in New Orleans or if you drove 20-30 minutes outside of town to visit loved ones, there is a good chance you got stuck or couldn't get home for several hours. They really deserve a "D-" for the lack of warning on a day when nearly everyone had some Christmas travelling to do. Same goes if you were trying to get across Louisiana with the I-55 partially shut down, the I-10 shut down from Kenner to Laplace, etc.

Steve

[sunny]

Mardi Gras starts in a week.

January 6 it begins so not to early.

Bite your tongue, Zack! I am not ready to start fighting the traffic battle just yet!! Mardi Gras if February 8th, which means the parades start up in full force the end of January.

[MGC]

You've got that right Steve. NWS NO office dropped the ball on this one big time. A parish that Lake Charles was responsible had winter storm warnings issued but the parish right next to it that NO was responsible for had only a 10% chance of precipitation. I could understant the plight of many who were stranded. It was quite interesting crossing the Pearl River bridge on I-10 Christmas evening.........MGC

[TS Zack]

Awww got to love riding around and every street is closed. Riding over Veterans on the Causeway and seeing floats riding by.

LOL It officialy begins Jan 6 but the big parade season starts January 28,29, and 30.

[ktulu909]

Not to mention there were things around here that had NO buisness being open,like the elevated Westbank Expressway.I slid all over that thing about 5pm on Christmas day,and to top that off,a Jefferson Parish sherriff was TAILGATING me while Im sliding around.I was scared to death,I knew for sure he was gonna hit me.

[Steve]

You shouda let him. Then sued (assuming you hadn't had anything to drink of course lol).

Steve

[ktulu909]

Oh,dont worry,I was sober.I just had my 2 year old with me,along with my wife,otherwise I might have put him into the wall

I did get his car number and called in a complaint,like thats actually gonna acomplish anything.

[LaBreeze]

I can almost smell the King Cakes baking!!

[sunny]

I can almost smell the King Cakes baking!!

Oh man! But with all the eating I did over the holidays - I'm thinking of putting a ban on king cakes!!!

[sunny]

Awww got to love riding around and every street is closed. Riding over Veterans on the Causeway and seeing floats riding by.

LOL It officialy begins Jan 6 but the big parade season starts January 28,29, and 30.

LOL - I just don't like getting stuck in the CBD til 10 pm if I am not out of the office by 6pm!!

[storm4u]

Not to mention there were things around here that had NO buisness being open,like the elevated Westbank Expressway.I slid all over that thing about 5pm on Christmas day,and to top that off,a Jefferson Parish sherriff was TAILGATING me while Im sliding around.I was scared to death,I knew for sure he was gonna hit me.

Not a good idea for you to move up here if you dont like that kind of stuff!!

[sunny]

Not to mention there were things around here that had NO buisness being open,like the elevated Westbank Expressway.I slid all over that thing about 5pm on Christmas day,and to top that off,a Jefferson Parish sherriff was TAILGATING me while Im sliding around.I was scared to death,I knew for sure he was gonna hit me.

I came home early - around 3. The elevated Expressway was starting to ice over then. I was truly surprised they didn't close it down.