Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for New Iberia, LA

DISCUSSION
(This evening through next Thursday)
Issued at 220 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Water vapor imagery and 500 mb analysis depict a strong upper-level trough digging through the eastern US. An associated surface cold front continues to push southeastward across our areas, ushering in a much drier continental airmass. As of this writing, the front is currently pushing eastward through Vermilion, Lafayette, and St Martin parishes. Temperatures ahead of the front are generally in the low to mid 80s with dewpoints around 70, while areas behind the front see cloudier skies with temps falling to the 70s. There is enough moisture for a few isolated showers along the front, but little if any appreciable rain is expected.

Behind the front, northerly winds will become gusty as the pressure gradient tightens with surface high pressure building into the southern Plains. Sustained wind speeds of 15 to 25 mph are expected across the area with a few gusts up to 25-30 mph. The greatest wind speeds are expected closer to the coast and adjacent to the Atchafalaya Basin, and a wind advisory remains in effect for these areas through Saturday morning. Temperatures will fall into the 50s across the area, with a few spots in inland SE Texas and central LA perhaps even dropping into the 40s for the first time this season.

Breezy conditions continue into Saturday morning. Winds should generally be on a downward trend heading into the afternoon and evening, but will remain elevated through the daytime hours.
Confidence is not high enough to extend wind advisories further into the afternoon at this time, but this potential will be monitored for future forecast cycles. Otherwise, clear skies are expected with afternoon highs only reaching the low 70s across the CWA, which will make for our first true taste of fall across our area this year.
Overnight lows Saturday night will be even cooler with continued cold air advection and ideal conditions for radiational cooling.
Temperatures will fall into the low to mid 50s along the coast and dip well into the 40s across most inland areas.

For Sunday through the remainder of the week, a strong upper-level ridge will begin to build over the central CONUS, while surface high pressure anchors itself over the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. This will result in a gradual warming trend, with highs returning to the mid to upper 80s by midweek. Light easterly to northeasterly flow will keep any Gulf moisture away from our areas, with surface dewpoints generally in the mid 40s to mid 50s, and PWAT in the 0.4 to 0.6 inch range (below 25th percentile relative to climatology).
As a result, the chance of rain through next week is essentially zero, with no substantial weather systems to speak of through the end of the forecast period.

64/Silas

AVIATION
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1215 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Cold front continues to sweep across southwest Louisiana early this afternoon. The front has passed BPT, AEX, and LCH and will be crossing LFT around 18Z and ARA around 19Z. In the wake of this front, north winds will become gusty at 15-20 kt with gusts up to 25-30 kt. MVFR ceilings are expected for all terminals along and for a few hours after frontal passage. Current expectation is that these clouds should clear from northwest to southeast by 23Z-00Z, but this timing is low confidence. Gusty north winds continue through the night and into Saturday morning.

64/Silas

MARINE
Issued at 220 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Offshore winds will strengthen heading into this evening as a cold front sweeps across the waters from northwest to southeast. The greatest winds are expected over the offshore Gulf waters, where sustained winds of 25-35 kt and gusts up to 40 kt will be possible along with seas up to 7-11 ft. A Gale Warning is in effect for these areas for tonight through Saturday morning as a result, with a Small Craft Advisory for the coastal lakes and bays where wind speeds will not be as strong. While winds decrease from these more hazardous levels Saturday afternon and evening, they will remain elevated through Sunday morning, especially over the offshore Gulf waters.
Small craft advisories have been issued through Sunday morning and may need to be extended later into Sunday, particularly for our eastern marine zones.

FIRE WEATHER
Issued at 220 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

A cold front is crossing Louisiana early this afternoon, with just a few light showers popping up along it in the Acadiana region. As northerly winds ramp up in the wake of the front, they will bring in much drier air, which will combine with dry fuels from ongoing drought to create a period of high fire danger. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for inland portions of central and southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, where afternoon RH will drop as low as 30-35 percent with north winds of 15-25 mph. This threat may persist later into the evening than typical as humidities will be slow to recover overnight.

Saturday will likely be a more widespread fire weather concern across our area, with even drier air continuing to advect in from the north as breezy north winds continue. A red flag warning has been issued for the entire CWA, with afternoon minimum RH dropping into the 30-35 percent range area-wide. The area of greatest concern Saturday will likely be areas along and south of I-10 and east of I- 49, where the highest wind speeds are expected to occur. The threat will diminish Saturday evening as winds decrease.

Winds decrease closer to the 5-10 kt range for Sunday heading into next week, but dry conditions continue with afternoon MinRH likely in the 25-35 percent range each day. Chances for rain will be near zero through next week as drought persists across the region.

LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
LA...Red Flag Warning until 1 AM CDT Saturday for LAZ027>030.

Red Flag Warning from 9 AM to 8 PM CDT Saturday for LAZ027>033- 044-045-055-073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-252>254.

Wind Advisory until 1 PM CDT Saturday for LAZ029-032-033-044-045- 055-073-074-141>143-152>154-241>243-252>254.

TX...Red Flag Warning until 1 AM CDT Saturday for TXZ180-259-260.

Red Flag Warning from 9 AM to 8 PM CDT Saturday for TXZ180-201- 259>262-515-516-615-616.

Wind Advisory until 1 PM CDT Saturday for TXZ515-516-615-616.

GM...Small Craft Advisory until 1 AM CDT Sunday for GMZ430-432-435- 436.

Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for GMZ450-452- 455-470-472-475.

Small Craft Advisory from 1 PM Saturday to 7 AM CDT Sunday for GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475.

Gale Warning from 7 PM this evening to 1 PM CDT Saturday for GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475.