BATON ROUGE, La. — The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) is urging everyone to prepare for freezing temperatures and the potential for wintry conditions across the northern half of Louisiana. GOHSEP has activated its Crisis Action Team in order to support local emergency managers with any potential requests for resources.
Here is the latest on timing and possible conditions from the National Weather Service Shreveport office:
Freezing rain chances are increasing for the weekend across the ArkLaTex. The region could see significant impacts, including road closures and power outages.
Here is the latest on timing and possible conditions from the National Weather Service Jackson (ArkLaMiss):
Confidence has increased that a mix of wintry precipitation and dangerous cold will impact the northwest portions of the area and possibly much of the area Friday night through the weekend.
“Forecasts for this type of event can change,” said GOHSEP Director Jason Mahfouz. “Any variation could potentially mean additional impacted areas. We strongly urge checking your forecast and staying informed. Prepare now for road closures and power outages. Look for any potential safety instructions from your local leaders and law enforcement. Plan any travel carefully using the 511la.org website to look for road closure information or problem spots.
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said, “Confidence is growing there will be impacts from this event. Freezing rain accumulations could be 0.5” or more in the northern third of the state. That’s more than enough to create hazardous road conditions, power outages and other infrastructure disruptions. Problems in some areas may begin Friday and continue through Saturday into Sunday.”
The Louisiana State Fire Marshal office reminds everyone to safely heat your home.
- Place space heaters 3-5 feet from bedding
- Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets.
- Never leave space heaters or candles unattended.
- Have working smoke alarms and CO detectors.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Before you travel in areas potentially impacted by the winter weather, check the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s website www.511la.org [511la.org] for any road issues.
www.getagameplan.org [getagameplan.org]: Louisiana residents can take simple steps to protect themselves, their families, their pets and their homes. GOHSEP provides detailed tips and information for how to respond in the event of a tornado, flooding, thunderstorm, hurricane or other severe weather.
www.weather.gov [weather.gov]: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides detailed, zip code level weather information for the public on its website.
