FIRST ALERT: Crippling ice storm begins arriving Sunday night, then turning harshly colder

First Alert Weather Days — First Alert Weather Days(KPLC)

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - We are still on track to see a high-impact winter weather event beginning tonight lasting through at least Tuesday!

Today we will see off an on showers, mostly rain; but a little freezing rain is possible especially north of I-10. However by tonight most of this will transition to freezing rain. Ice may not stick to roadways immediately but travel conditions will deteriorate through the night especially on bridges.

By Monday morning we may have up to 0.5″ of ice on some surfaces and this will cause widespread travel problems. And could cause power outages if too much ice accumulates on the wires and causes them to break or tree limbs to break and fall across wires.

First Alert Forecast — First Alert Forecast(KPLC)

To add to the problems, it now looks more likely that some snow will fall Monday morning. This will make it impossible to see ice on any surface. Areas from Beaumont to Alexandria and north may see 2-5 inches of snow and that is on top of the ice. Southeast of that line it will be slightly warmer and less snow is likely, but still some areas could see up to 2 inches of snow on top of ice!

First Alert Forecast — First Alert Forecast(KPLC)

Temperatures will be bitterly cold too and the wind will make it even colder! So my advice is to stay off of the roads after sunset tonight (Sunday night) and stay home until things improve possibly Tuesday. Please be safe with heating your home and be prepared for power outages. Check our website for more details on safety tips: www.kplctv.com

What to expect for Allen, Beauregard, & Vernon Parishes:

First Alert Forecast — First Alert Forecast(KPLC)

What to expect for Calcasieu & Jeff Davis Parishes:

First Alert Forecast — First Alert Forecast(KPLC)

What to expect for Cameron Parish:

First Alert Forecast — First Alert Forecast(KPLC)

I should note that this forecast is still somewhat uncertain as a change in temperature by just a degree or two could cause drastically different precipitation amounts and more importantly could change the precip type! We want it colder for more snow, and the air well above the ground is what I’m talking about for snow instead of ice.

Count on the entire 7 Stormteam to keep you updated throughout this event. But please stay home if at all possible. If you must travel please do so slowly and with extreme caution...

Wade

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