An unseasonably warm weather pattern is expected to continue across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas as the region approaches Christmas, according to the National Weather Service in Lake Charles. Forecast models show strong upper-level ridging becoming established over the southern United States, allowing temperatures to remain well above normal through the holiday period.
On Christmas Day, high temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid to upper 70s for areas including Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Beaumont–Port Arthur. These values are roughly 10 to 15 degrees warmer than typical late-December averages, which usually range from the upper 50s to mid 60s. Overnight lows are also expected to remain mild, generally in the mid to upper 50s, compared to normal lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s. While the warmth will be noticeable, current projections suggest that record temperatures are not likely to be broken.
A cold front moving through the region today will bring a brief return to more seasonable conditions on Friday, along with increased cloud cover and scattered showers. Any cooling behind the front will be short-lived, however, as southerly winds off the Gulf of Mexico redevelop over the weekend. This will allow warmer and slightly more humid air to return quickly, reinforcing the unseasonably mild trend into next week.
Rain chances after Friday appear limited, with mostly dry conditions favored through Christmas for much of the area. Marine conditions will vary with frontal passages, and mariners should remain alert for locally higher winds and seas near thunderstorms, especially early in the forecast period.
Overall, residents across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas can expect a warm, mostly quiet holiday weather pattern that feels more like early fall than late December.
