Special Marine Warning Issued for Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas as severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts move through the region.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS New Orleans LA
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued a Special Marine Warning for Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. The alert was issued at 12:16 AM CST on February 15, 2026, and is effective immediately.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically impacts the following geographic areas:
- Lake Pontchartrain
- Lake Maurepas
- Manchac
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to seek shelter or move to safe harbor immediately. Dangerous high winds and suddenly higher waves are expected. Waterspouts can form quickly and capsize boats, damage vessels and oil rigs, and create hazardous conditions.
Additionally, a Tornado Watch remains in effect until 2:00 AM CST for southeastern Louisiana, and a separate Tornado Watch is in effect until 5:00 AM CST for southeastern Louisiana and adjacent coastal waters.
Expected Conditions
At 12:16 AM CST, radar indicated a cluster of severe thunderstorms moving east at 30 knots. The line of storms extended from 17 nautical miles northwest of Lake Maurepas to 30 nautical miles west of Manchac.
Primary Hazards:
- Waterspouts: Possible sudden formation with the potential to capsize vessels.
- Wind: Gusts in excess of 50 knots.
- Hail: Small hail is expected within the storm cluster.
- Impact: Significant structural damage to boats and oil rigs is possible due to high winds and sudden wave increases.
Timeline
- Issued: 12:16 AM CST, February 15, 2026
- Expiration: 1:00 AM CST, February 15, 2026
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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