
When Should Louisiana Expect The Next Winter Storm?
If you are waking up in Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville, New Iberia, Opelousas or any other community that is considered to be in the "Heart of Acadiana" then you won, or perhaps lost, the winter weather lottery. Not only did you get treated to a historical snowfall on Tuesday, but this morning you're waking up to the coldest temperatures in the state.
Did you notice that pocket of "deep blue" shading that's right over the area where we had the biggest snow totals? The snow on the ground is helping to keep the temperatures even colder in those locations. And, bad news here, the snow has gotten very icy. If a road was closed yesterday, it's still closed this morning.
What Roads in Louisiana are Closed?
Temperatures will warm to barely above freezing later today and there will be abundant sunshine, this might help improve some of the roads but many will be quite treacherous for Thursday morning. Here's a look at what roadways are closed. This list is updated so do check back often.
If there was a silver lining to this snow, ice, and freezing weather event it would be that we saw it coming. We knew days in advance that it would be bitterly cold. We knew last week that frozen precipitation was possible and likely. We had a full weekend to get shopping done. And, the storm started in the middle of the night when we were all at our houses.
Based on the long-range outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center and NOAA it doesn't look as if frozen precipitation or even "pipe-threatening" conditions will affect the area until next winter. In a nutshell, if you like winter weather, I hope you're enjoying what you have and what will be around for the next few days because it's going to feel springlike this weekend.
That giant plume of orange represents a warming trend across the mid-section of the country and that's what we will see over the next couple of weeks. No, it won't be hot, but it will be a little warmer than normal.
That forecast will take us to Valentine's Day. The forecast graphic below from the Climate Prediction Center suggests what temperatures might be like as we move through Mardi Gras and toward St Patrick's Day and Patty in the Parc in Downtown Lafayette.
As you can see the above normal trend is expected to continue for the Gulf South. That will be accompanied by drier conditions too. And while the long-range outlooks don't bode well for snow lovers, they do seem to be setting up nicely for crawfish lovers.
Crawfish experts say the cold snap might have slowed down Louisiana's crawfish season but as soon as it warms back up, like this weekend, the crawfish will start moving again and the supply will increase across the region.
So, as you settle in for at least one more day, maybe a day and a half of not leaving the house, here's what's on the menu. We asked, and you answered, "What are you cooking for the snowstorm". As always your answers did not disappoint.
Top Snow Day Cajun Meals
Gallery Credit: TSM Lafayette
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