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A ***WINTER STORM WATCH*** will go into effect for East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Northern Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, and Northern Tangipahoa Parishes, as well as Amite and Wilkinson Counties on Sunday. This region highlights the "rain/freezing rain battleground" where there might be a changeover to freezing rain on Sunday. The watch area matches expectations for higher ice potential north and west of the I-10/12 corridor. Ice totals have trended lower, with only a light glaze expected where freezing rain occurs.
Today & Tonight: A Dense Fog Advisory will be in effect until 8 a.m., so be prepared to face some areas of dense fog for the Friday morning drive. Be sure to use low beam headlights while driving through fog, and consider adding a few extra minutes to the commute. The rest of the day will be mostly cloudy with highs ranging from the low 60s up north to the upper 60s farther south. Baton Rouge will be caught in between with a high in the mid-60s. Cloud cover will persist after dark, and isolated showers will become possible late. Look for an overnight low in the mid to upper 40s.
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Winter Storm Potential: A large winter storm will track across the Southern United States into the weekend, producing large swaths of snow, ice, and rain. The Baton Rouge Metro Area will find itself very close to the southern extent of ice and, therefore, possible impacts.
Rain and even a few thunderstorms will overspread Louisiana and Mississippi through the daytime hours on Saturday. While some dry time is possible early, it will become increasingly scarce through the afternoon and evening. Temperatures are expected to remain above freezing on Saturday, and so there will not be any problems due to ice, locally.
Off-and-on showers will continue Saturday night into Sunday. Meanwhile, northwest winds will drive the freezing line closer to the Capital Area. If the temperature drops below 32°, plain rain would transition to freezing rain. That could happen as early as Sunday morning. The greatest risk of the freezing line arriving while rain is still falling will be along and north of a line from New Roads to McComb. By the I-10/12 corridor, the risk is lower, and the risk trends toward zero further to the south and east. While minor ice accumulation would only be a travel issue, any amounts greater than a tenth of an inch could stress trees and powerlines. Again, concern for this is greatest north and west of Baton Rouge. Even if precipitation wraps up before temperatures inevitably drop below freezing later Sunday, any wet surfaces could turn icy — especially bridges and overpasses. Fortunately, elevated wind speeds on Sunday night may help to mitigate this issue.
A minor change from just 32° to 33° makes a major difference in impacts for an event like this, so monitor Storm Station forecasts as new information comes in each day. Be prepared to change or cancel travel plans this weekend.
Up Next: Precipitation will clear out late Sunday, but the cold will tighten its grip. North winds of 10-15 mph will send wind chills, or feels-like temperatures, plummeting into the teens. A hard freeze looks likely both Monday and Tuesday morning with lows in the low 20s for several hours. Gusty winds will easily plunge wind chills into the teens. Use any dry time later this week to wrap exposed, outdoor pipes if you have not already done so this season. Both afternoons will show some sun and get highs into the 40s, which should allow any ice to melt and evaporate.
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