by Malcolm Butler
North Louisiana will see a blast of arctic air arrive over the weekend, according to the latest from the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
And residents of the area could be in for some white stuff although confidence of snow is still low, according to Davyon Hill, lead meteorologist at the NWS-Shreveport.
“The models have not been as consistent as we would like them to be but that’s normal five days out,” said Hill. “That’s not unheard of. The closer we get we will get more model consistency.
“Right now we have a slight chance of wintry precipitation. It would likely be snow if it were to occur.”
Hill said that the chances of snow begin Monday night and through the day Tuesday over a 24-36 timeframe.
“Right now, it’s a 20 to 30 percent chance which means there is a bigger chance it won’t happen,” said Hill. “The chances can increase. There is still plenty of uncertainty remaining. We will be able to pinpoint it better over the weekend.
“The models are fighting about will it dry out or will we have enough moisture. We know the temperatures will be cold enough for it to occur.”
One thing Hill and the NWS are sure about and that is well-below normal temperatures that will hit the area starting around midnight Saturday into early Sunday morning.
“What we want people to take away from this is the cold air coming in,” said Hill. “It’s going to be cold. Well below normal. The front will come through late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
“Behind that it will be really cold. We will struggle to reach 40 degrees on Sunday and then starting Monday we will struggle to reach the mid-30s. If we get into the mid-30s on Monday, I would be shocked. Same thing on Tuesday.
“The overnight lows are going to be really cold, especially the first half of the week. We may get into the teens, but for sure the mid-20s.”
Hill reminded people about the four Ps when it comes to these types of temperatures.
“People. Pipes. Pets. Plants,” said Hill. “Take care of all four.”
