Winter Weather Update - Sunday February 14th- 7:30 AM

Here are updated forecast graphics for the winter storm tonight and cold weather Monday night.

Changes from previous update:

• Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories were issued.

• Hard Freeze Watch in effect for Monday Night

• Wind Chill Watch in effect for Monday Night

• Ice Accumulation values were increased.

Overview:

WHAT: Accumulating ice (freezing rain) and possibly sleet; followed by frigid cold.

WHEN:Accumulating ice/sleet is most likely late tonight through Monday. The coldest night this week will be Monday Night. Freezing Rain will begin in the northwestern parishes/counties shortly after midnight and spread east-southeast. A more detailed timing graphic will be sent later this morning.

WHERE: Accumulating ice is most likely across the northwestern half of the area. A Hard Freeze is likely for the entire area.

CONFIDENCE:

• We are very confident there will be ice accumulation in northwestern portions of the forecast area. Confidence in accumulation drops significantly the farther southeast a location is. We are less confident in how much of the ice will be in the form of freezing rain vs sleet.
• We are very confident in the occurrence of very cold temperatures Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Potential Impacts: 

Ice and Snow Accumulation:

• Ice accumulation up to about 0.50 inches is currently forecast across northwestern areas. Ice accumulation drops off as you move southeast. See the graphics for a better description of these areas.
• Sleet is possible in parts of the area and will be a half an inch or less.
• Accumulation of sleet/ice will result in dangerous travel conditions Monday morning and Tuesday morning. Any remaining liquid Monday night will freeze with the cold temperatures and create a slick Tuesday morning commute.
• Impacts could linger through Tuesday night as temperatures across northwestern areas struggle to rise above freezing during the day Tuesday.

Freeze/Hard Freeze:

• Hard freeze conditions are expected across the area.

• Hard freeze conditions could result in significant damage to unprotected pipes as well as citrus and other sensitive agricultural crops.

Hour-by-hour forecasts for specific locations can be accessed on our website (www.weather.gov/neworleans) by using the point and click map in the middle of the page. From the point-specific forecast page, click the "Hourly Weather Forecast" on the right side of the page under "Additional Resources". Here you can determine specific durations of time below freezing as well as specific timing for precipitation.

Additional Information and Resources:

NWS New Orleans Website: www.weather.gov/neworleans

NWS New Orleans DSS Website: http://www.weather.gov/lix/embrief

NWS New Orleans Facebook: www.facebook.com/NWSNewOrleans

NWS New Orleans Twitter: https://twitter.com/NWSNewOrleans

Online Weather Reporting: https://www.weather.gov/lix/submit_storm_report

Next Update and Contact Information:

The next update will be during the 2pm webinar this afternoon.  If you have any questions in the interim or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We can be reached by phone at 504-522-7330 or 985-649-0429.  Use extension 4 to speak with a forecaster.  Alternatively, you can reach us by email by replying to this message or sending an email to sr-lix.forecasters@noaa.gov. Both methods will be delivered to the forecasters on shift at the office.