Much of the state is bracing for the ice storm of 2026. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says there’s currently a stalled cold front in the Gulf of Mexico.
Keim says that creates the perfect environment for wintry precipitation – normally snow; but in this case, it will be in the form of freezing rain. Keim says the northern half of Louisiana could see up to an inch and a half of ice, more than enough to rip down limbs and powerlines and transform roads into skating rinks.
If you’re in an affected area, Rodney Mallett with DOTD is urging you to stay off the roads this weekend.
Utility crews throughout the state are in position ready to restore power when the power gets knocked out by the ice storm. Nyka (NIGH-kah) Scott, the vice president of customer service for Entergy, says like all other utility companies throughout the state, Entergy is bringing in extra personnel.
Cut 6 (10) “…safely as possible.”
As if this weekend’s ice storm wasn’t enough, the start of next week will be brutally cold by anyone’s standards, not just Louisiana’s – in the teens and possibly single digits in north Louisiana and in the upper teens or low 20s in south Louisiana. Mark Wilson with the LSU Ag Center says if you have shrubs and plants that were planted in the last two years, cover them now before the cold arrives.