Meteorologist: Little chance of snow for St. Mary Parish

There is little chance of snow for St. Mary Parish and the chances of a thaw beginning Wednesday from today’s ice storm will depend on whether the sun will break through the clouds, said Roger Erickson, National Weather Service meteorologist.
Temperatures are expected to hover around freezing today in the parish with precipitation beginning as rain then changing to sleet and then maybe, just maybe, snow around midnight, Erickson said.
“This will be more of an ice storm for you,” Erickson predicted.
While parish residents greeted the morning with temperatures several degrees above freezing, Erickson said conditions will deteriorate through the day. The brutal cold will slap the area into a hard freeze tonight with temperatures in the low- to mid-20s.
Temperature forecasts for Wednesday depend on how long the area remains under a cloud cover and if the sun ends up coming out. With a constant cloud cover, Wednesday temperatures could stay near freezing but if the sun comes out there could be some beginning of a thaw occurring with temperatures climbing to about 40 degrees, Erickson said.
“I do not have a high level of confidence that there will be sunshine,” Erickson offered.
“The National Weather Service in Lake Charles is receiving widespread reports of freezing rain and sleet across our region,” Erickson said in an early morning emailed update. “Radar coverage is increasing, and will remain that way for this morning and much of the afternoon. … If you can, stay off the roads today.”
Speaking about local conditions at 9 a.m. Erickson said, “The heaviest stuff hasn’t reached St. Mary Parish yet. But, you should start getting some freezing rain or sleet in the next two or three hours. Travel conditions will be hazardous.”
The I-10 corridor is the general line marking where significant snow will fall. South of the interstate there is expected to be less snow and mostly freezing rain and sleet. North of the interstate could see from 1 to 3 inches of snow, Erickson said.