There's high potential today for a major tornado outbreak across the greater southeast region and central Gulf Coast states.
Those traveling through east Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama will need to closely monitor the forecast and have a way to receive weather alerts.
The Storm Prediction Center issued the rare "High Risk" area for Mississippi and Alabama overnight, this is not something the agency does lightly and is reserved for only the most serious forecasts.
The outlook for Acadiana hasn't changed much since Friday's bulletin and the overall thinking of the forecast hasn't changed much either with models remaining in good agreement.
Winds have been sustained between about 15-20 mph and gusts have pushed 30 mph as the dewpoint values have crept up over the last several hours.
Those are two of the ingredients I look for when it comes to severe weather so all storms will need to be monitored closely.
It will be an all modes type event with storms capable of producing tornadoes, damaging winds, and medium to large hail.
Storms in Acadiana will start to increase mid morning and into the early afternoon when the main lifting mechanism will slide east of the Atchafalaya Basin.
Since the system arrives in east Louisiana in the mid afternoon it will enter an area that will have been destabilized by day time heating and we'll likely see an increase in strength as they move into the eastern corner of the state.
I would urge anyone traveling to the Northshore, to New Orleans, or along I-12 to be extra vigilant monitoring the weather.
It still doesn't look like storms will be too widespread and will likely be more pop up and scattered in nature, however, the ones that do pop up will have the ability to strengthen rapidly.
Take these storms seriously and remember a majority of us won't experience the worst of it but those of us that do will be in for a rough ride, so before anyone starts going on about how it "wasn't that bad" keep that in mind.
