Beach Warnings Posted Ahead of Louisiana Spring Break

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has announced that this year's Spring Break or Easter Break if you will, is scheduled to begin next week. That means that between March 25 and April 1, students and faculty will put down the books for a week. For many, that means a trip to the beaches of Lower Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Aside from the usual anxiety of how backed up the traffic on I-10 will be at the Mobile, Alabama tunnel there are also concerns about what students and families who plan to make the journey east might encounter once they've arrived on the white sands of the Emerald Coast.

Before we get to the inherent dangers of Mother Nature, let me remind you that law enforcement agencies along the Alabama and Florida coasts have already put partygoers on notice that too much fun will not be allowed. Just last week police in Gulf Shores arrested more than 100 people for violations during Spring Break. And Al.com is reporting that 47 more arrests were made by Gulf Shores officers in just the past few days. They aren't playing. Have fun but don't be stupid, right?

What Are the Beach Conditions in Gulf Shores, Pensacola, and Destin?

Hopefully, you won't be making the trek to the Redneck Riviera until this weekend. By then you'll find the beach is going to be a much nicer place to visit. If you were to leave and head for the beach today. Here's what you should expect.

Rip currents will kill you. You need to understand that and the fact that the beach currently has high surf warnings and high surf advisories should be more than enough notice that the water is not friendly for humans for the next day or so.

The good news is that as we approach the weekend the beaches of Florida and Alabama will become more conducive for guests wanting to get some sun, play in the waves, and toss mullets. Okay, the official Mullet Toss in Gulf Shores isn't scheduled until April 26th but there is no reason why you can't practice this weekend or next week while you're there.

Here's the rip current forecast for this weekend and beyond. As you can see from the graphic below, things will be better for bathers by Saturday.

Next week's weather forecast for along the Northern Gulf Coast is calling for temperatures to be near 80 on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Showers and cooler temperatures will move onto the coast on Wednesday and Thursday. Storms are expected on Friday with flooding possible by Saturday and Sunday. Good thing you've got Netflix to watch in the condo, right?

For updates on the beach conditions from Mobile to Pensacola, you may click here. And for the latest weather advisories along the beach, you may click here.