Gulf system expected to bring heavy rain to region

A broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles south of the Louisiana coast could become a tropical depression later today or Friday, the National Hurricane Center says. Regardless, the system could bring heavy rain to south Louisiana, including the Capital Region, through Labor Day. The system currently is producing a large area of cloudiness, thunderstorms and gusty winds over the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the area later this afternoon. Fred Zeigler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s New Orleans-Baton Rouge forecast office, says that models used to track the system are struggling to predict its movement. The system could be slow to move, with some models forecasting an eventual turn to the southwest toward south Texas and others showing an eventual turn to the east toward Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The chance of rain increases to 40% this afternoon and tonight, 60% Friday through Sunday, and 40% on Sunday night. Winds will be from the east between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Rain could total as much as 8-10 inches in the Capital Region. For more information, click here here for the NWS New Orleans-Baton Rouge office website and here for the National Hurricane Center website.