As Good As It Gets, Future Stormy Pattern

Wow, I played golf today with the "Marvelous One" (Marvin Bernstein) and the weather could not have been better for mid March.  It was a cool start, but by 11 AM off came the outer gear and it was Polo Shirt & shorts time.  Wish our golf was as good as the weather, but alas, we don't do it for a living or we'd be called the "starving golfers"! There are some clouds well south of our coast and we'll see cloudiness on the increase as we head towards this weekend.

Most of the nation has warmed up with the longer days and higher sun angle.  Only the extreme northern Plains are below freezing.  80s surged to Tulsa & Bowling Green while the cooler Gulf waters limited our warmth.   So let's go over the big picture and the possible severe weather set up later this week.  There are lows off both coast with a huge upper ridge in between.

The low coming into California today should not cause any severe storms as the return Gulf flow is limited.  However, the much larger and stronger system behind it will bring a higher severe risk on Friday & Saturday.  SPC hasn't changed any of their long range outlooks.  We'll have plenty of time to worry, if we need to worry at all.  Thanks for all of your comments regarding the over hyping of a severe risk 5-6 days out.  Your answers were predictable!

With such quiet weather for the next 2-3 days, I'll be out fishing with Capt. Hylton Wed/Thursday.  Finally, look what I saw on the close up satellite views.  Without clouds, smoke & mud stood out. Those are fires over East Texas & western Louisiana.

Our rivers have crested from recent rains up north, but the high waters have stirred the mud up.  Lake Pontchartrain is muddy from Mississippi River water seeping thru the wooden blocks of the Spillway.  The Mardi Gras cut near Pointe a la Hache has really made the Breton Sound filthy.  Shell Beach looks clear so I've gone fishing.   Back on Friday.