Issued by The National Weather Service
New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
5:12 am CST, Thu., Feb. 11, 2010

… WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR AREAS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 12 AND 10 CORRIDOR… EXTENDING FROM METROPOLITAN BATON ROUGE TO THE NORTHSHORE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN… TO THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST.

FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON… BUT IS MORE LIKELY DURING THE EVENING ACROSS METROPOLITAN BATON ROUGE AND ALONG THE INTERSTATE 12 CORRIDOR. A MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET WILL LIKELY DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. DURING THE EVENING… THE RAIN AND SLEET MIX WILL LIKELY CHANGE TO A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW AS PRECIPITATION SPREADS EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST. IT WILL BECOME MOSTLY SNOW WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

SLEET AND SNOW MAY BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES… ESPECIALLY AFTER 9 PM. THIS COULD RESULT IN A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION AS SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATE ON THE ROADS. ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET AND SNOW MAY REACH 2 TO 3 INCHES BY NOON ON FRIDAY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE MID AND LATE MORNING HOURS FRIDAY AND SHOULD END EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW… SLEET… OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

More Information

… SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND FRIDAY…

.AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO AND TRACK EAST NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTH GULF TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE… SLEET AND SNOW ARE EXPECTED OVER AREAS MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 10 AND 12 CORRIDOR. A BRIEF MIX OR CHANGE TO SLEET AND SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 AND 12 CORRIDOR.