FXUS64 KSHV 181821 AFDSHV Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 121 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026 ...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 119 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026 - Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible Tuesday afternoon and evening, particularly across the northwestern ArkLaTex. Large hail, damaging wind gusts and a tornado or two will be possible. - Widespread rainfall will continue on a daily basis for the remainder of the week ahead and into the weekend, potentially leading to flash flooding concerns. - Temperatures will trend below normal as the week continues, due to prolonged cloud cover, with highs in the 80s and lows int he 60s throughout. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 119 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026 Southwest flow aloft will supply the ArkLaTex with abundant moisture throughout the majority of this forecast period. The next 24 hours or so will see the last genuinely dry portions of this forecast for the region, with only limited slight chances of showers and storms this evening to the southeast and northwest. Today's afternoon highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s will drop into the low to middle 70s by daybreak Tuesday, which looks to get off to a warm, muggy and overcast start. The main event looks to begin tomorrow, as a shortwave trough and attendant surface front swing into the Middle Red River Valley, kicking up our first wave of showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall will return from the northwest, pushing out of southern Oklahoma as early as tomorrow morning, spreading south and east across the entire CWA by midafternoon. As previously advertised, these storms may become strong to severe, with the latest guidance indicating the greatest risk developing during the afternoon hours and continuing into the evening as a cluster of intensifying convection attempts to organize into a squall line as it moves south and east across the ArkLaTex. The principal hazards associated with these storms look to be large hail developing from discrete convection and damaging winds from both isolated clusters and a potential squall line. The threat for tornadoes is comparably low, but cannot be ruled out together, especially in the form of brief rotation developing within a squall line. The organized severe weather threat looks to conclude by late evening Tuesday, but the rainfall will just be beginning. A weak upper level disturbance embedded in the southwest flow will meander very slowly northeast through the middle of the week, as its attendant surface boundary likewise stalls across the region, establishing a firehose of moisture which will be aimed at the ArkLaTex throughout the remainder of the week and into the weekend. This does not look to take the form of continuous rainfall, per se, but frequent enough impulses resulting in high confidence of at least daily rounds of showers. The bottom line is a very wet forecast for the week ahead. The persistent nature of the aforementioned set up is also highlighting the potential for flash flooding. The ArkLaTex is included in at least lower-end risk outlooks beginning tomorrow and continuing through Friday, with the greatest risk currently outlooked on Thursday for our southwestern zones. The most recent accumulation forecast totals suggest at least 3 inches of rain across the region, with the highest totals in the 5 to 7 inch rain. Bear in mind, these totals will be accumulated through the course of the next 7 days. Reinforced by southerly flow, warm conditions will continue, but this wet pattern looks to at least put a dent in the well-above average temperatures of the past few days. Highs will settle into the low to middle 80s by late in the week, with lows in the 60s throughout. /26/ && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 119 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026 MVFR cigs have lifted/become low VFR across the region as of the start of the 18Z TAF period, and should eventually scatter out across the area by mid-afternoon, with cigs having already scattered out at MLU/ELD. AC cigs also in place across the region early this afternoon should also gradually diminish from W to E by late afternoon/early evening, although cirrus cigs should linger tonight/Tuesday. Low VFR cigs over SE TX should eventually lower by early to mid evening as they begin to spread N across E TX, affecting LFK by 03Z and the TYR/GGG/SHV terminals around/shortly after 06Z. Cigs should gradually lower but remain mostly low MVFR overnight as they affect the remaining terminals prior to daybreak Tuesday, before gradually improving by mid to late morning. VFR cigs should return to much of the region by midday Tuesday, although convection should develop/spread ESE across extreme NE TX/SW AR by late morning/midday, likely affecting the TYR/GGG/TXK terminals by early afternoon, and the remaining terminals by mid/late afternoon into the evening hours. Thus, later TAF issuances will likely include thunder mention for these areas. Strong Srly winds of 11- 17kts with gusts to 22-28kts this afternoon will diminish slightly to 7-14kts with occasional higher gusts to 20kts after 00Z. /15/ && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Issued at 119 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026 Spotter activation may be needed Tuesday into Tuesday Night. /26/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 75 90 71 83 / 20 50 70 90 MLU 74 91 70 84 / 20 40 70 90 DEQ 71 84 65 79 / 30 70 70 80 TXK 74 90 68 82 / 30 80 60 80 ELD 73 90 68 82 / 30 50 60 90 TYR 75 89 69 82 / 30 70 70 80 GGG 75 90 70 83 / 30 70 70 80 LFK 76 91 72 84 / 20 50 70 90 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...26 AVIATION...15