Live updates Jan. 21: Snow blankets Louisiana as winter storm rages. Here’s the latest. – NOLA.com
A winter storm system pummeled south Louisiana with frigid winds and freezing temperatures Tuesday as snow blanketed New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Snow started to fall before sunrise across much of the southern half of the state, and the New Orleans French Quarter was blanketed by 7 a.m. By 11 a.m., at least 1-3 inches of snow had already accumulated across much of south Louisiana, with some areas reporting even more. The day’s snowfall led to road and school closures, pleas from city and parish officials to stay home and more. Here’s the latest.Tuesday’s snowfall in New Orleans may be of historic proportion, but it doesn’t pose any major challenge to the city’s beleaguered drainage system, according to Ghassan Korban, executive director of the Sewerage and Water Board.Korban said there is typically a 10-to-1 ratio of snowfall inches to snow melt inches, meaning the enormous piles of snow building up around the city might only amount to a total of about an inch of water when it melts over the next couple days.Some parts of the state were reporting up to 7.5 inches of snow by about 11:45 a.m., according to snowfall reports verified by the National Weather Service.As many as 5 inches were recorded in some parts of New Orleans, St. Tammany Parish, and Livingston Parish, while 7.5 inches were recorded in one spot in West Baton Rouge Parish.By late afternoon in New Orleans, snow plow crews were seen plowing snow in Algiers and across the Crescent City Connection. It was unclear how many such crews had been deployed around the city. Find all the latest totals here.The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority extended the suspension of all transit services to Wednesday as snow continues to pile up on the city’s streets, officials announced Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. Bus, streetcar and ferry services were halted Monday night and will remain closed until roadways and bridges are deemed safe for travel, RTA said.Residents across south Louisiana were warned via text alert midday to stay off the snow-covered roads. Louisiana State Police officials said troopers had seen an increase in crashes and disabled vehicles on south Louisiana interstates and highways throughout the morning. “We are continually urging motorists to stay home and stay safe,” an LSP spokesperson said in a prepared statement. The Rosenwald warming center in New Orleans reached capacity just before 1 p.m. Those in need of shelter are asked to visit the Treme center at 900 N. Villere Street. Here’s a parish-by-parish list of warming shelters open across the New Orleans area. Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans remain under a winter storm warning Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy snow is expected to continue throughout the day, with the most falling between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wind gusts of 25-30 mph are likely in areas south of Interstate 10.Snow covers Bourbon Street in New Orleans French Quarter, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)Here are tips and tricks to prepare for the rare snow event. The Crescent City Connection was closed due to the storm at around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge narrowed to a single lane on Monday night ahead of the storm and was closed entirely shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said it will remain closed through Tuesday. Other interstates and elevated bridges in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes closed at 4 a.m. Tuesday.See the latest on New Orleans road closures here.See the latest on Baton Rouge road closures here.Entergy New Orleans said Tuesday morning it was experiencing scattered power outages due to winter weather and that crew mobility could be limited due to icy conditions.The first outage in the area hit 2,230 Kenner residents at around 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to Entergy’s outage map. By 8:17 a.m., the map indicated power had been restored to majority of customers.Just before 10 a.m., more than 2,000 residents were reporting outages throughout St. Tammany Parish. At midday, Entergy was reporting around 3,500 outages throughout the state, with Orleans Parish accounting for a little over 200.If you find yourself without power during a freeze, here’s what you can — and what you shouldn’t — do to stay warm.Nearly every flight to and from New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport was canceled Tuesday due to the storm. Most airlines planned to resume normal operations Wednesday, depending on the weather. New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Acadiana public and private schools, colleges and universities closed Tuesday for the weather. By noon Tuesday, many school systems had announced closures for Wednesday and Thursday as well. See New Orleans area school closures here. See Baton Rouge area school closures here. See Lafayette area school closures here. Many New Orleans area grocery stores are closed Tuesday and have not yet decided on Wednesday. This includes all Rouses locations in Louisiana and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.Read more here. Lafourche Parish was the first in south Louisiana to issue a curfew Tuesday. Residents should be off the roads by 8 p.m.Officials say the curfew will last until it is safe to do drive at night.St. John the Baptist Parish Mike Tregre announced a dusk to dawn curfew starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. Residents are asked to stay off the roads. The St. Bernard Parish government requested residents to conserve their water use during the snowstorm Tuesday. New Orleans suspended citywide trash and recycling collections on Tuesday as a rare winter storm blanketed streets in a thick layer of snow.Curbside trash and recycling collection by the city’s Department of Sanitation are set to resume on Thursday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.Garbage collection was also suspended in Jefferson Parish Monday through Wednesday. Routes scheduled for Wednesday were canceled in St. John the Baptist Parish, too. Snow and ice will make driving dangerous, and some roads and bridges could even be impassable for spans of time. Gov. Jeff Landry traveled back from President Donald Trump’s inauguration early to hold a press conference Monday afternoon urging residents to stay safe and protect pipes, plants and pets.New Orleans officials warned residents on Tuesday that they could be snowed in until Thursday due to near-freezing temperatures and a limited number of snowplows clearing major roads, highways and bridges.Here’s what your city and parish leaders are saying:Most city and parish government offices and state services are closed Tuesday due to the severe weather. Check your city’s website or social media pages for the latest information. St. Bernard and St. Charles parishes will close government offices Wednesday, too. Email Justin Mitchell at justin.mitchell@theadvocate.comBy noon on Tuesday, a winter storm propelled by Arctic air had dumped 5 inches of snow on parts of New Orleans, according to the National Weat…The snow-pocalypse hitting south Louisiana has already prompted school closures through at least Wednesday, and some other closures are alread…The New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport closed its doors Tuesday after every flight was canceled due to freezing temperatures an…As silent snowflakes blanketed New Orleans, the city came to standstill Tuesday as streets and sidewalks emptied, windows and doors cracked to…Snow turned the city into a winter wonderland on Tuesday morning, with more of the white stuff expected throughout the day. Keep up with the l…Power outages due to winter weather conditions crept up throughout the morning on Tuesday as temperatures dipped below freezing and snow began…Journalists at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans and the Advocate newsrooms in Baton Rouge and Acadiana are working around the clock to cover …With New Orleans and much of south Louisiana blanketed in snow, many schools and colleges are planning to remain closed on Wednesday. News Tips:nolanewstips@theadvocate.comOther questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.comNeed help? Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
