Louisiana’s Ice Storm Threat – Friday Forecast Update

(KMDL-FM) There is an eerie synergy between what it feels like when a hurricane is approaching Louisiana and when there is a major winter storm threat approaching Louisiana. It seems as if almost everyone has nervous energy about them in both cases. That anxiety is likely spurred on by uncertainty. But just like the final forecast before landfall in a hurricane, we're now less than 24 hours away from a significant winter weather event in Louisiana.

Another feeling a lot of us in South Louisiana are familiar with is the feeling of relief when you realize that perhaps your home, your city, your parish will be spared the wrath of the storm. That happens a lot during hurricane season along I-10. And now, it appears as though we can all exhale just a little regarding the current winter weather threat.

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What Is The Friday Morning Winter Weather Update For Louisiana?

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Lake Charles has been doing a masterful job of cultivating data and making it presentable for us, the untrained weather watchers of the world, to understand what their scientists are seeing. And apparently, based on the graphic you see below, what forecasters are seeing is less of a threat for Acadiana and the I-10 corridor in general.

If you read the commentary posted on the side of the graphic, the key takeaway for residents of Lake Charles, Crowley, Lafayette, Breaux Bridge, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans is this: there is little to no ice accumulation expected along the I-10 corridor in Louisiana.

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We can't quite make the same encompassing statement for cities and towns along US 190. The southern edge of the frozen precipitation has been very difficult for forecasters to pin down. So, there could, and likely will be a few spots on US 190 that could be slippery, but in general, the forecast suggests that the roadway should stay passable for motorists throughout the weekend.

Bitter Cold Temperatures Threaten People and Plumbing in Louisiana This Weekend

Bitter cold temperatures and wind chills that can cause physical damage to your body will be the biggest threat for most of us who live in South Louisiana beginning late Saturday through the middle of next week. Overnight temperatures on Sunday night into Monday morning could be in the upper teens across many I-10 communities.

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At those temperatures, even a slight breeze will exacerbate the cold, so do anticipate lower-than-normal wind chill readings. It is quite possible that some of the feels like temperatures we'll experience in Louisiana this weekend and early next week will be in the single digits.

Although skies will clear during the day on Monday, don't anticipate any major moderation of temperatures during the workweek. For the most part, overnight lows will be below freezing and afternoon highs will be in the upper 30s to mid-40s as we move toward next weekend.