A winter storm watch will be in effect late Saturday into Sunday for parts of the Baton Rouge area.
According to our partners at Louisiana First News, "As it stands right now, impacts to the local area will be mainly confined to southwest Mississippi and the neighboring Florida Parishes (from New Roads to St. Francisville to Kentwood). That is where there is a higher confidence on at least a glazing of ice from freezing rain this weekend – mainly on Sunday. This means a potential for slick spots, especially on elevated surfaces like bridges and overpasses."
"Further south, into the Baton Rouge metro, confidence on icy impacts is much lower. Model guidance is still not in great agreement on how fast the freezing line drops southward into the area. If temperatures stay above freezing through out the day on Sunday, freezing rain will not happen, as moisture will be exiting by the time the cold air gets here," the Storm Tracker team added.
The incoming frigid air has prompted the National Weather Service to issue an extreme cold watch from Sunday night through Tuesday morning. Overnight lows will plummet into the 20s with wind chills in the teens, causing hard freezes. Residents are urged to protect people, pets, plants and pipes. For a current list of warming shelters, tap or click here.
EBR Schools have announced Monday will be a remote day for students. Southern University will also shift to remote operations for Monday. Updates on further closures are available here from Louisiana First News.