Winter storm warning for late Sunday night; ice accumulation in forecast

A winter storm warning will go into effect from midnight to 6 p.m. Monday, with the possibility of freezing rain beginning Monday morning. A wind chill advisory will go into effect at 6 p.m. Monday as St. Mary braces for some of coldest weather in recent years Tuesday morning.

One- to 2/10ths inch of ice is in the forecast for St. Mary beginning with freezing rain about mid-morning Monday. Ice accumulation will make driving dangerous. Blackouts are also possible as the weight of ice brings down power lines and breaks weak limbs onto power lines.

The forecast from the National Weather Service in Lake Charles:

--Rain will continue Sunday, but the high will be near 42 degrees, ruling out freezing rain.

--The low will fall to 32 degrees early Monday. A 90% chance of rain and freezing rain will emerge later in the morning, diminishing to 60% later in the day. The high will be 38 degrees.

--Monday night, the wind will increase to 10-15 mph with 20 mph gusts as the mercury dips to 24 degrees by early Tuesday morning. A temperature that low with 20 mph wind will lower the wind chill index to 11-12 degrees.

--The sun should come out Tuesday and push the high to 39 degrees, but the wind will continue to make the weather seem colder.

--Rain is likely to return Wednesday, but the high will be back near 60 degrees.

The hard freeze makes it important to protect exposed pipes, bring pets inside, and cover tender plants or bring them inside.

Experts warn against using a cooking range as a heating source. If you run a generator, keep it outdoors and well away from vents and windows.

Plug only one heat-generating appliance at a time into outlets. Keep space heaters away from flammable material.