BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry has declared a state of emergency in preparation for a winter storm expected to hit Louisiana on Tuesday, bringing significant snowfall across much of the state.
In addition to the snow, the National Weather Service is warning of extreme cold, with temperatures expected to dip into the 20s for several days next week.
“DOTD and Louisiana State Police have been working day in and day out as we prepare for this to make sure that we have the inventory necessary to keep the roads clear,” Landry said during an GOHSEP update Sunday. “As this event unfolds, we’re going to pray that when we get the snowfall, it melts fast and everyone can return to normal life.”
While the state braces for the winter storm, Gov. Landry is in Washington, D.C., attending the inauguration of Donald Trump.
LATEST FORECAST: ‘Major impacts’ expected as snow accumulations could reach 4-6 inches
MORE: School and state closures announced ahead of winter storm
Landry emphasized that, in addition to the extreme freeze forecast, his primary concern during the storm is keeping people off the roads.
“We’re not a state that’s well-equipped to handle heavy snow, so we urge our citizens to be patient as we work to clear the roads and make them safe for travel.”
The state is working with neighboring Arkansas to bring in snow plows to clear ‘priority routes,’ UWK has learned. Meanwhile, DOTD crews are actively pre-treating overpasses and bridges ahead of the storm. According to DOTD, this pre-treatment will help keep roads open for a longer period during the severe weather event.
Forecasters believe that many roads may not be safely accessible until late Wednesday or even Thursday.
Another concern across much of the state is ensuring local water systems can handle the cold weather preparations. As residents begin trickling water to prevent pipes from freezing, the added demand could strain infrastructure.
“Not only will some smaller utilities shut off water due to these temperatures straining their infrastructure, but for those who follow the old-school method of dripping pipes, it’s going to lower water pressure everywhere,” State Climatologist Jay Grymes warned.
As the forecast evolves ahead of Tuesday’s storm, Grymes noted he is less concerned about ice and reiterated the National Weather Service’s prediction of several inches of snow with minimal ice accumulation across South Louisiana.
The updated forecast brings good news for powerlines in the area. Increased winds are expected to prevent snow from accumulating on powerlines, reducing the risk of power outages. However, if ice does form, it is more likely to occur closer to the coast.
During a GOHSEP update, Landry stated he would meet with state leaders to discuss potentially closing state offices on Wednesday. Currently, state offices are already closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Tuesday due to the storm.
Landry also expressed concern about hunters heading into the woods during the severe weather.
“They might see this event as an opportunity to go out and hunt, but the problem is they could end up stranded, unable to return to proper shelter.
“This is not going to be one of those, ‘Oh, this is great, we got a little snow, let’s go out there, take some pictures, and have fun.’ This is going to be a hard freeze event complicated by snowfall,” Landry cautioned.
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