***YESTERDAY'S SEVERE WEATHER WRAP-UP****

***THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER WE SAW YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT WAS HAIL. MANY AREAS OF EAST TEXAS, NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS HAD HAIL WHICH AVERAGED NICKEL SIZE, BUT RANGED UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE IN SEVERAL PLACES. MUCH OF THE SHREVEPORT - BOSSIER AREA HAD NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL DURING THE EVENING***

***AT LEAST 1 TORNADO WAS APPARENTLY CONFIRMED IN HEMPSTEAD COUNTY ARKANSAS SHORTLY AFTER 4 PM. THE TORNADO DID SOME DAMAGE TO THE COMMUNITY OF YANCY TO THE WEST OF OZAN***

***OTHER FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTINGS WERE COMMON IN CASS AND BOWIE COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST TEXAS AS WELL AS IN LITTLE RIVER, MILLER, LAFAYETTE AND COLUMBIA COUNITES IN ARKANSAS. ADDTIONAL TOUCHDOWNS MAY BE CONFIRMED IN THOSE AREAS AFTER STORM SURVEYS ARE COMPLETED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS***

DISCUSSION:

After yesterday and last night's severe storms we've enjoyed a very nice Thursday with mostly sunny skies and mild temperatures. Highs have been close to 70 in the Shreveport-Bossier area and even near 80 degrees in some southern parishes where the cold front never made it.

Another upper level disturbance will move through the area tonight and early Friday morning bringing another round of showers to the area. Because of the lack of significant moisture in the lower levels of the atmoshere in the central and northern portions of the atmosphere, we don't expect any severe weather this time around in the Shreveport-Bossier area and northward. However, in the extreme southern and eastern area where previous front stalled, there may be enough remaining moisture for a few heavier thunderstorms to develop tonight. With very cold air aloft any storms that do form could contain some brief hail. The best chance for this happening will Sabine, Natchitoches, Red River and southern Bienville parishes and eastward.

After that disturbance moves through our forecast becomes much simpler. We'll have windy and cool weather for Friday and Saturday with some low level cumulus and stratocumulus clouds but no precipitation. Temperatures will be cooler than normal with lows in the 40s and highs only in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Winds will be very gusty from the west and northwest at 20-30 mph. As high pressure builds in skies will be sunnier on Sunday making for a beautiful finish to the weekend. Next week also looks basically dry and cool as the next storm system will probably miss us off to the south. Lows will be in the upper 30s and lower 40s with highs mostly in the 60s for much of next week.

FORECAST DETAILS:

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a good chance (70%) of a few showers, esp;ecially later on. Some areas may even see a heavier thunderstorm, especially to the south of Shreveport-Bossier. Low temperature by morning near 47. Winsd Variable 5-10 mph this evening, becoming NW 10-15 mph during the night except with some higher gusts near southern thunderstormss.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy, windy and cooler....High 59...Winds WNW increasing to 20-25 mph.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy, brisk and chilly. Low 43.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy adn continued windy and cool...High 59... Winds NW 20-30 mph.

SUNDAY: Sunny and very nice with lighter winds. Low a cold 39, High a cool, but pleasant 61. Winds N 10 mph.

MONDAY: Partly sunny and continued cool. Low 41, High 65. Winds N 10 mph.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, breezy and cool. Low 44, High 65...Winds N 15 mph.

WEDNESDAY; Partly cloudy...just a slight chance (20%) of a shower. Low 47, High 67. Winds N 10 mph.

THURSDAY: Sunny and very nice. Low 38, High 65...Winds East 10 mph.

Scott Chesner