Rain is expected in New Orleans on Wednesday as a storm system driven by a stalled front moves over the south and southeast.
NEW ORLEANS – Rain is expected in New Orleans Wednesday as a storm system moves over the south and southeast, driven by a stalled front.
The front acts as a conveyor belt for the storms to move forward, allowing rain to accumulate in the Big Easy, a major city where flash flooding is threatened over the next two days.
It will take some time for the front to move north again because there is a large, blocking high pressure area in the northeast, the FOX Forecast Center said.
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The exclusive FOX model shows there will be persistent rain in the New Orleans area on Wednesday.
(FOX Weather)
The rain is gradually easing each day as a high pressure system begins to move eastward across the Atlantic. Until then, torrential rain is expected, and with it the possibility of flash flooding, every day this week.
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 out of 4 chance of rain for Wednesday in the New Orleans area. Heavy rain amounts of 3 to 5 inches are expected, with up to 7 inches possible in some areas.
A look at the flash flood danger in the southeast through Friday.
(FOX Weather)
New Orleans, especially downtown, has been a target for heavy rainfall this year. The city has been under a flash flood warning 21 times this year. For comparison, in 2023, it has only been under a flash flood warning 11 times. This year, New Orleans has been under a flash flood warning 11 times between June and August alone.
Precipitation amounts have also developed accordingly, with precipitation concentrated directly over the city center, the FOX Forecast Center reported.
A series of stormy days is looming in the south and southeast as a front moves over the region.
At New Orleans International Airport, the official location for records, 54.89 inches of rain have fallen so far this year, a respectable 8.4 inches above average. Just 10 miles east, downtown New Orleans has received 10 inches more rain than the airport — over 65 inches.
New Orleans, and especially the city center, were the target of heavy rains this year.
(FOX Weather)
Heavy rain will resume Wednesday afternoon. Several heavy downpours could quickly overwhelm the city’s pumping system, leading to flooded streets and more flash flood warnings, the FOX Forecast Center warned.
Frequent flooding places a financial burden on residents and business owners who must prepare for flooding during almost every storm.
It is the same system that the National Hurricane Center previously observed developing along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, but since the low pressure system is expected to move ashore, the risk of tropical development has decreased.
In Texas, rainfall in August was a few inches below average.
In addition to the already chaotic week, a low pressure system could form along the stalled front, bringing rain for Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas into the weekend.
