Updating Dave’s most excellent and honest blog entry…we are still on course for cold, sloppy rains Thursday into Thursday night. Once again, we are faced with marginal conditions that could generate a rain/snow mix Thursday night with a possible change-over to all snow in the northern most portions of Acadiana before the precipitation ends during the pre-dawn hours of Friday. For this reason the NWS has issued Winter Weather Advisories for Beuaregard, Allen, Evangeline and St Landry Parishes for Thursday night for the possibility of a light slushy accumulation. Temperatures however should stay above the freezing mark at the surface through tomorrow night…but aloft conditions should be cold eneough for snow and/or sleet to mix in with the rain. With that being said cold air to our north and aloft could get entrained into this system, especially if our surface winds stay consistent out of the NE or NNE. Farther to the north a significant accumulating snow may be possible from Alexandria to Baton Rouge while the best target for a good snow will be in SW Mississippi where 2-4″ of snow will be likely with up to 6″ possible there. Winter Storm Watches are posted from Northeast Texas eastward through CenLa into Mississippi including the Baton Rouge Parishes. For most of us the precipitation will start off lightly and sporadic Thursday morning with some sleet quite possible to mix in, then all rain for the balance of the day and then possibly a slow changeover to a wintry mix Thursday night. I am not expect any roadway hazards in Acadiana with this system with the exception of the northern portions of the northern parishes of Acadiana ground temperatures may be too warm. But grassy areas, trees and roof tops may whiten by Friday morning. Most of us along and south of the I-10 corridor should stay almost all rain. But like the last two December snow events (2008 and 2009) we may wake up Friday morning with some folks to the north making snowballs while others just getting to see it on video! Stay tuned for the latest computer model runs and radar trends!
