Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Mardi Gras Blues...

I know how much planning & effort goes into all the Carnival preparations, be it  local government, all the various Krewe members plus families just planning to come out and enjoy parade watching.   Much time, energy & expense is involved only to be crushed by something none of us can control…the weather.   So it is with the next 6 days…the weather is likely to spoil our annual fun.  Bruce Katz addressed the Krewe of Endymion tonight with their Saturday parade forecast which, RIGHT NOW, looks bleak.  In fact, most of the parades for the next 6 days have a good chance of being wet, the exception being Thursday’s night parades.  Bruce stressed the UNCERTAINTY of the forecast 4 days out.  Heck, there remains great uncertainty even with Wednesday night’s forecast for Nyx & Druids and that is less than 24 hours from now.  The problem?  A cold front is coming, but we have a southwest flow in the upper levels.  That means the front will be a slow mover with the likelihood for showers lingering well behind the front.  Earlier models had most showers over before 6 PM.  Today’s runs keep showers around until 9-10 PM.  Couple that with falling temperatures and tomorrow night could be a miserable night to ride or watch.  But the show must go on.  Thursday will be chilly(50s) but dry with showers returning during the afternoon hours on Friday making the night parades iffy.   But there more Lee Zurik.  That pesky SW upper flow will haunt us right through Mardi Gras with several disturbances bringing rounds of rain each day.   RIGHT NOW, Saturday morning’s parades look wet with the rain lasting well into the afternoon.  There is a small window where the rain could depart by 6 pm leaving Endymion riding mostly dry.  However, more rain returns for Sunday’s parades with the timing difficult that far away.   Even Monday & Tuesday appear to have a shower threat, but at least temperatures will not be cold (60s-near 70+).   I am always trying to find a bright side to the forecast, but unless we have some major changes, the week leading to Mardi Gras will require rain gear.  Stay dry my friends.  Stay tuned!

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