SPSLIX SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 401 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 GMZ530-550-555-570-575-590-LAZ034>040-046>050-056>070-MSZ068>071-077- 080>082-300500- PASCAGOULA TO SW PASS MISSISSIPPI RIVER OUT 20 NM- PASCAGOULA TO SW PASS MISSISSIPPI RIVER 20-60 NM OUT- SW PASS MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO ATCHAFALAYA RIVER OUT 20 NM- SW PASS MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO ATCHAFALAYA RIVER 20-60 NM OUT-AMITE- ASCENSION-ASSUMPTION-EAST BATON ROUGE-EAST FELICIANA-HANCOCK- HARRISON-IBERVILLE-JACKSON-LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS- LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES- LOWER ST BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS- OUTLOOK PASCAGOULA TO SW PASS MISSISSIPPI RIVER-PEARL RIVER-PIKE- POINTE COUPEE-ST CHARLES-ST HELENA-ST JAMES-ST JOHN THE BAPTIST- ST TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE- UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-WALTHALL- WASHINGTON-WEST BATON ROUGE-WEST FELICIANA-WILKINSON- 401 PM CST WED NOV 29 2006 ...STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOLLOWED BY MUCH COLDER WEATHER EXPECTED LATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... A VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING A THREAT OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION LATE THURSDAY FOLLOWED BY A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO COLD AND WINDY WEATHER. THE STRONG COLD FRONT NOW OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE STEADILY SOUTHEAST...AND COMBINED WITH A STRONG UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN UNITED STATES...SHOULD CAUSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY OVER THE AREA FROM MID AFTERNOON THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. MUCH COLDER AIR SHOULD MOVE INTO THE REGION LATE THURSDAY NIGHT BRINGING AN END TO UNUSUALLY WARM CONDITIONS OF THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S. NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL MAKE IT FEEL MUCH COLDER...WITH WIND CHILLS IN THE LOW AND MID 30S. ACROSS THE COASTAL WATER AND TIDAL LAKES...NORTH WINDS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS WILL SPREAD OVER THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS POSSIBLE OFFSHORE. RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD MONITOR BROADCAST MEDIA...CABLE TV...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO REGARDING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. $$