Snow remains in the forecast for Baton Rouge on Tuesday. If snowflakes fall, they’d be the first in the area since January 2018.
There’s a 70% chance of 3 to 6 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service on Sunday.
Virtually all Baton Rouge-area schools are closing campuses Tuesday, with some teaching via remote instruction.
A cold weather advisory has been issued for Monday and Tuesday nights in the region when temperatures are expected to dip below freezing.
Local and state officials urged residents to stay home Tuesday, rather than drive on the expected slick, icy roads. The temperatures early Tuesday morning are expected to plunge into the low 20s or even lower.
“Make no mistake about it, we are taking this event very seriously,” said East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards at a Sunday night news conference.
Fred Raiford, director of the city-parish department of public works, said crews were positioned to salt important roads. He said they would start with bridges, which are the first roadways to ice over.
Crews are ready to respond to a weather event that could affect Baton Rouge for one to five days, Raiford said.
Edwards said the parish was opening warming shelters on Monday, including one at the main library on Goodwood Boulevard and at Metro Council Member Cleve Dunn Jr.’s office on Airline Highway.
The mayor urged residents to inform the city’s homeless population of the support centers in place to offer shelter.
“Spread the word. This is all of our Baton Rouge, and we need to get the word out with that,” he said.
CATS will not charge anyone for transportation to the city’s warming centers, said the mayor’s Chief of Staff, Lon Vicknair.
Snow and slick conditions
Temperatures have been dropping since Saturday’s high eclipsed 70.
While snow could start falling late Monday night, the bulk of the precipitation is forecasted to come on Tuesday.
Areas north of the Interstate 12 corridor have a chance to see “snow bursts,” where specific areas could see up to 10 inches of white stuff.
Toward New Orleans and Houma, the precipitation will be a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet.
While temperatures will rise slowly on Wednesday and Thursday, there is still a chance of icy conditions remaining so motorists should take caution, officials said.
-Black ice
While the Baton Rouge area is set to see only a fraction of an inch of ice, conditions on roadways will be dangerous. The biggest danger, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Stanfield is “black ice.”
Black ice is a name for a thin glaze of ice hard to spot on roads due to its transparency.
“If not properly treated or cleared, snow that falls on roadways will refreeze overnight as clear, or ‘black’, ice,” Stanfield said.
As temperatures rise Wednesday morning from the freezing range, snow will begin to melt. When temperatures fall to below 32 degrees on Wednesday night, the melted snow will refreeze, becoming slicker and more transparent,, forecasters said.
“It looks like it’ll melt off for good by Thursday afternoon,” Stanfield said.
Vehicles with the state Department of Transportation and Development have been treating roads across the state against ice as the storm approaches.
Safety tips
In light of the oncoming storm, first responders from Baton Rouge are asking residents to stay inside Tuesday.
If driving becomes a necessity, Louisiana State Police have put out a bulletin on how to do so safely, especially if you don’t have experience driving in snow or ice and don’t have snow tires.
Their tips include:
- Reduce your speed and allow extra time to reach your destination.
- Increase your following distance behind other vehicles.
- Do not use cruise control while driving in wet or icy conditions.
- Anticipate stops and brake gently while stopping.
- Be watchful for icy patches on overpasses, bridges, and shady spots on the roadway.
- If you encounter a skid, take your foot off the accelerator and steer into the skid until you regain control.
- Use low-beam headlights only.
- Watch for slow-moving emergency vehicles, as well as first responders.
- Remember that it’s illegal and unsafe to drive around barricades.
- Ensure all vehicle occupants are properly restrained.
Brad Harris, a spokesperson for Baton Rouge EMS, said staying off the road will allow local ambulances to complete their job with fewer obstacles.
“It’s going to certainly affect our in-route time to the hospital and our response time to emergencies,” Harris said. If bridges are closed, the ambulance drivers “might have to take alternate routes, and they will have to drive slower.”
Harris said ambulance service will not lessen or stop due to the weather, but he does expect more calls due to accidents or stranded drivers.
Harris also said residents should be aware of other dangers during low temperatures: fires caused by personal heaters, being without important medications if stranded, and the cold itself.
“The snow is one thing, but I heard there’s going to be a wind chill of around 8 degrees,” he said. “Nobody here is used to 8 degrees, especially our homeless population. They’re definitely going to have to find a warming shelter or get access to a place they can stay out of the elements.”
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