Get ready for a blast; hard freeze expected next week

Winter will arrive in a big way early next week, when the mercury is expected to plunge into the 20s.
The National Weather Service in Lake Charles this week reported growing confidence that an Arctic air mass will enter the area Monday.
The Weather Channel is predicting a mild weekend with lows in the 40s and a chance of rain Sunday. Then, on Monday, the high will be only 44 degrees. And the low Tuesday morning is expected to be 20 degrees with a north wind of 10-20 mph.
The Weather Channel gives us an 11% chance of snow on Tuesday.
The high Tuesday will be only 37 degrees, dipping to 25 degrees by Wednesday morning.
The weather will warm gradually, but morning lows near freezing are expected the weekend of Jan. 20-21.
The record low for Morgan City was 10 degrees on Dec. 23, 1989.
The threat of a hard freeze means it’s time to wrap exposed pipes.
Bring outdoor plants inside when possible, or cover them if they must stay outdoors.
Pets should also come indoors. Animals that can’t be taken indoors should be provided with shelter and a source of unfrozen water.
Be careful with space heaters. Plug heaters directly into wall sockets. They can overload power strips, creating a fire hazard.