weather

A tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico is bringing heavy rain to Louisiana and Mississippi, but forecasters don’t believe it will strengthen into anything significant.

New Orleans is preparing for heavy rainfall this week as a tropical disturbance moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward the Louisiana coast.

Two bills to ban weather modification in Louisiana have quietly moved their way through the state legislature this session, as a cohort of other states have moved to do the same with technology that purports to encourage rain or alter temperature.

Much of south Louisiana remains under flood advisories Wednesday as strong storms move through the region.

Multiple St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in South Louisiana have been postponed due to the threat of strong winds and possible tornadoes this weekend.

With strong winds in the forecast on Tuesday, Mardi Gras parades in Jefferson Parish have been canceled, and two parades in New Orleans have adjusted their plans, WDSU and Fox 8 reported.

Much of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi remain under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. with severe weather in the forecast Wednesday.

Louisiana residents have highest per capita power consumption in the nation.

“ Anytime we get an Arctic air blast down this far south, this is an artifact of the polar vortex rearing its ugly head,” said climatologist Barry Keim .

The arctic weather set new records for snowfall amounts and low temperatures this week. State Climatologist Jay Grymes said it’s the most snowfall and lowest temperatures Louisiana has experienced in the last century.