UPDATED: Emergency declared as region braces for cold weather

The latest National Weather Service forecast for east St. Mary calls for a low of 25 degrees Monday night into Tuesday morning and a chance of a wintry mix of snow, sleet or freezing rain.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared an emergency in Louisiana. North Louisiana has a much stronger chance of snow and could see lows in the teens, possibly single digits, early next week.

Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan has also declared an emergency. Patterson City Hall will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Morgan City Operation Beautification Clean-Up Day, slated for Saturday, has been postponed two weeks. Volunteers are being asked to meet at 8 a.m. Feb. 27 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium for the four-hour clean-up event.

The National Weather Service forecast for east St. Mary is for highs of 49 degrees Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The high Monday will be only 45 degrees.

The low temperatures are expected to be 45 degrees Saturday morning, 41 degrees Sunday morning and 39 degrees Monday morning.

Then, on Tuesday, the low his expected to be near 25 degrees. The Weather Channel’s weather.com 10-day forecast for Morgan City calls for a low of 21 degrees Tuesday morning with no mention of snow, sleet or freezing rain.

Freezing temperatures signal the need to protect tender outdoor plants, outdoor pets and exposed pipes.

St. Mary Water and Sewer Commission No. 4 in the Charenton area asked customers not to allow faucets to trip to prevent pipes from freezing, which can lower water pressure.

Instead, the district said, close the system and drain pipes. If pipes freeze, wait for them to thaw before turning on the water.

The National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 71 degrees as late as 9 a.m. Thursday at Harry P. Wil-liams Memorial Airport near Patterson. The mercury dropped to 46 degrees by 2 a.m. Friday.

The statewide emergency declaration was a response to “the current heavy rainfall totals beginning to impact the state and the potential for wintry conditions beginning this weekend and extending to next week,” according to a press release from the Governor’s Office.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness urged Louisiana residents to play ahead.

The National Weather Service indicates an Arctic high pressure system is pushing south, bringing with it the coldest air of the season to at least portions of the state.

“Already in Louisiana we have communities that have seen the impacts of flash flooding and water on the roadways, and there is the potential for worse weather and bad conditions as the days go on,” Edwards said.

“ Now is the time for people to make a plan for the coming days that could include staying at home during se-vere weather,” Edwards said. “Monitor the local news and updates from the National Weather Service and your local leaders, check on your neighbors and stay safe.”

The NWS Shreveport is predicting lingering freezing rain across north Louisiana, followed by a major winter storm Monday and another winter storm Wednesday.