Halloween rain ends New Orleans’ longest dry spell in 2024 | Weather

After a week-long dry spell that has worsened drought conditions across Louisiana, rain is finally in the forecast. Unfortunately, it is expected for Halloween.

There is some chance of rain across much of southern Louisiana Wednesday through Friday as a front moves in from the northwest.

The best odds for rain are on Halloween afternoon and early evening, according to the National Weather Service in New Orleans. Baton Rouge and other areas west of Interstate 55 are expected to receive the highest rainfall amounts.

There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms in New Orleans on Thursday, and the storms are expected to roll through the city primarily after 1 p.m.

Forecasters don’t expect a major washout with flooding, said Kevin Gilmore, National Weather Service meteorologist. There will likely be some hit-or-miss showers through the afternoon, and aside from some lingering showers, things should mostly clear up after 6 or 7 p.m., Gilmore said.

“It’s definitely one of those cases where it wouldn’t hurt to carry an umbrella,” he said.

Despite the bad timing, the rain is needed. About 73% of the state is facing “abnormally dry” conditions, according to the latest US Drought Monitor map released on October 24. Of this, slightly more than 9% of the state is considered to be in severe drought, including parts of Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes.

While Orleans Parish is not among those experiencing drought, it hadn’t rained in New Orleans for 24 days as of Monday, Gilmore said. It’s the city’s longest streak without rain so far this year, Gilmore said, breaking the 17-day dry streak this summer that ended Aug. 14.

It is not unusual for New Orleans to go without much rain in October, which is historically one of the city’s driest months of the year. The upcoming Halloween rain could be a sign that a new, wetter season change is coming, Gilmore said.

“If anything,” he said, “a lot of the rain we’re going to get is the kind of rain we need.”