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Winter Storm Blankets Parts of Louisiana and East Texas, Now the Freeze

Children use a kayak to sled in a park in Lafayette, LA on January 21, 2025.
Anya Garbuzov
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Children use a kayak to sled in a park in Lafayette, LA on January 21, 2025.

Parts of South Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi saw more than nine inches of snow on the ground, according to preliminary estimates from the National Weather Service.

While northern parts of East Texas and Louisiana are dealing with extremely cold conditions this Wednesday morning, it is a completely different picture in deep East Texas, along with southern, and portions of central, Louisiana. As Matt Bloom with Louisiana Public Radio reports, a rare winter storm buried the Deep South in a blanket of snow on Tuesday. Parts of South Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi saw more than nine inches of snow on the ground, according to preliminary estimates from the National Weather Service in New Orleans. Governor Landry says while yesterday [Tuesday] was a winter wonderland for south Louisiana, the next few days are going to be extremely dangerous due to a significant drop in temperatures and the threat of black ice: “There's going to be a natural inclination that when the snow stops, that the problem is going to stop, but that's not true. Actually, the problems are actually going to begin.”

The National Weather Service released this map/graphic on January 21 as a winter storm approached Louisiana, displaying the different conditions throughout the Deep South.
The National Weather Service released this map/graphic on January 21 as a winter storm approached Louisiana, displaying the different conditions throughout the Deep South.

State Climatologist Jay Grymes says temperatures were expected to briefly get above freezing today. But they will drop again, bringing about even more dangerous road conditions. “Where the moisture remains, that is going to refreeze and refreeze hard as we get into Wednesday evening into Thursday and Thursday evening into Friday evening.” Grymes says if you think you’re in the clear because your home withstood the elements Tuesday, think again. The threat of power outages and freezing pipes continues over the next few days. You should either wrap your pipes or leave them dripping, unless your local water system has asked you not to do so, due to water pressure concerns.
Joe Donahue, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD), says a vehicle collided with a salt spreader on I-10 near the Texas state line Tuesday morning. “And so, I just urge everyone to stay home. And if you do get out on the road, please be aware of your surroundings and look out for our personnel and our equipment that's out there on the road, trying to open our routes across the state.”
For the most up to date information on shelters, outages and road conditions visit virtual.la.gov. Due to the severity of the winter weather, state offices will remain closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, and a graduate of the University of Washington, Jeff began his on-air broadcasting career 33 years ago in the Black Hills of South Dakota as a general assignment reporter.