Thunderstorm Wind in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

Trees downed on Highway 6 near Robeline.

Rapid thunderstorm initiation developed during the afternoon on March 15th as strong ascent occurred when a cold front interacted with a plume of returning surface moisture. Modest surface dew points in the lower to middle 60s amid steep mid-level lapse rates supported 1000-2000 J/kg of MUCAPE. 50+ knots of deep-layer shear also favored storm organization with a mixed mode of supercells and line segments. The surging nature of the front promoted rapid upscale growth into a QLCS before spreading eastward across the Red River Valley and into the Ark-La-Tex region. Strong low and mid-level shear between 200-300 m2/s2 supported embedded supercells, along with QLCS wind gusts. As a result, numerous reports of large hail and damaging wind gusts were recorded across North Louisiana.