Steve Caparotta WAFB

I spy with my little eye a shower near Port Vincent.

If you need some rain and aren't under this isolated shower, don't worry -- there is plenty to come by the weekend.

SOAKING RAINS AHEAD

Little change is expected in our weather through Wednesday, but the pattern gets much more active late this week into the weekend. In fact, much of the southern U.S. is in for a soaking thanks to two separate surges of tropical moisture.

To our west, what will be the remnants of E. Pacific Hurricane Polo are expected to produce heavy rainfall, leading to an increased risk of flooding.

And along much of the northern Gulf Coast, including locally, a surge of moisture moving northward from the western Caribbean and SE Gulf will deliver multiple rounds of rain, with the focus for the heaviest downpours being Fri-Sun. So, keep an eye on the forecast this week if you have plans for the weekend. The early outlook would certainly suggest that at minimum tailgating could be impacted on both the Southern & LSU campuses on Saturday, among other things.

The upside? Much of our area is currently classified as being in 'Moderate Drought' and the rainfall is needed.

What's up, dog? 😉

Sun dog, that is. Thanks to Sandy Gadel for sharing this pic captured from Coursey Blvd. in Baton Rouge last Thursday. Sun dogs are produced by cirrus clouds and the ice crystals that compose them. Sunlight passing through the ice crystals is refracted (bent) similar to light passing through a prism, revealing the colors of the rainbow.

This morning's low of 64° in Baton Rouge was the coolest since May 14! Could you feel it?

REMEMBERING RITA

21 years ago today, Hurricane Rita made landfall in southwest Louisiana near the Texas border as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.

A couple of days earlier, Rita had peaked as Category 5 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, with sustained winds of 180 mph and a central pressure of 895 mb.

The storm came ashore just 26 days after Hurricane Katrina, making it the 2nd major hurricane to hit Louisiana in less than a month. Storm surge of roughly 12-18 feet occurred across much of Cameron Parish and 10-12 feet across much of Vermilion Parish. Holly Beach was essentially wiped out, with no buildings left standing.

The surge also pushed well inland. Water as deep as 3-6 feet was reported in downtown Lake Charles, approximately 30 miles inland from the coast.

Because it followed Katrina so closely, Rita sometimes gets overshadowed in hurricane history. But for communities across southwest Louisiana, Rita remains one of the defining storms in that region.

LSU Basketball legend & NBA Hall of Famer Bob Pettit has passed away at the age of 93

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗱𝘆? The German traveler who became a social media sensation while documenting his U.S. adventures on X during this summer’s World Cup is back in the States — and headed to Baton Rouge this weekend for LSU-Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium.

Freddy says locals told him during his World Cup trip just how crazy LSU games can get, so experiencing one in Death Valley was high on his list.

Welcome to BR, Freddy!

In today's depressing news...we won't see our next 7 PM sunset in Baton Rouge until March 14, 2027.

Anyone happy about our days getting shorter?

Who's enjoying this first full day of fall? Nothing like 98° for a high in BR to kick it off!

⚡ Ouch!

Check out this picture shared on X by NWS New Orleans earlier this week of a tree struck by lightning in Folsom. Golfers -- this is why you don't seek shelter under a tree if storms are near the course!

📷: David Pittman