Winter Storm: A broad winter storm will sweep across the southern U.S. this weekend, bringing a mix of snow, ice, and rain along its path. The Baton Rouge metro sits near the southern edge of the potential ice zone, meaning we’re close enough that impacts remain something to watch closely.

Rain and possibly a few embedded thunderstorms will spread across Louisiana and Mississippi throughout the day Saturday. Any early dry breaks will be short-lived, with rain becoming more widespread by the afternoon and evening. Temperatures are expected to stay above freezing during the day, so icing issues are not anticipated locally on Saturday.

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Periods of rain will linger Saturday night and into Sunday as colder air continues pushing south. Northwest winds will gradually force the freezing line closer to the Capital Area. If temperatures slip to 32° or below, any lingering rain would change over to freezing rain — a transition that could begin as early as Sunday morning. The highest chance of that freezing line arriving while rain is still falling will be along and north of a New Roads–to–McComb line. Along the I-10 and I-12 corridor, the threat is lower, and it drops off significantly farther south and east. Light icing would mainly create travel problems, but amounts exceeding a tenth of an inch could begin to weigh down trees and power lines. That higher-end risk remains focused north and west of Baton Rouge.

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 hour. Be prepared to change or cancel travel plans this weekend. Follow the freeze line with us, by tracking the temperatures in the maps section of the Storm Station App. 

Precipitation will come to an end by Sunday afternoon. Even so, temperatures are expected to fall below freezing Sunday night, meaning any leftover moisture could freeze — especially on bridges and elevated roadways. The good news is that stronger winds Sunday evening may help reduce how widespread those icy spots become. Generally, roads would need about 4 hours of time to dry given the cold, damp and windy conditions while bridges would need about 6 hours. An earlier end time to precipitation would likely result in very little freezing or ice on roadways while a later end time would likely result in at least some icy patches Sunday night into Monday. 

Up Next: The cold will tighten its grip on Sunday night. North winds of 10-20 mph will send wind chills, or feels-like temperatures, plummeting into the single digits and teens by Monday morning. While some sun will come out for the afternoon, most locations will stay in the 30s through the day. By Tuesday morning, air temperatures will fall back into the upper teens, but fortunately, wind will not create a much lower feels-like temperature. With another afternoon of sun, thermometers will break into the 40s. Temperatures will remain chilly through midweek, though the heart of the cold will be on its way out by then.

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