Exciting But Dangerous, Models Were Right, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

I went to sleep around 10:30 last night with the temperature at 39 degrees.  Models kept predicting we would have all snow and not a cold rain.  But I was nervous since temperatures were not dropping.  But never fear the models Weather Breath! I was up before 7 and the temp had dropped to 29 as sleet/ice pellets were falling.  All the forecasts were right on as a historic snowstorm was about to cover all of the Gulf South from Houston to the Florida beaches.

We have an opportunity to have the greatest snow ever in the modern history of NOLA as radar shows the snow all the way back to Cantore in Houston.

So we have about another 6-7 hours of heavy snow to come.  Right now, my yard has about an inch.

Fresh fallen snow is very pretty, but as Zack Fradella pointed out, it's exciting (especially for the kids!), but very dangerous.  Best everyone stay around your homes and off the roads.  Interstates are closed as bridges are ice rinks.  Is this Louisiana?!!!

Looking out my window at Brenda's snow covered car and driveway reminded me I have no shovel and no ice scraper!  Yikes!

Fortunately, most folks have heeded the warnings and are not driving.  However, stupid is what stupid does.  Look at this guy.  Kinda early to be drinking?

And it figures the Newsroom always puts the sportscasters in the coldest location.  Juan Kincaid was at the lakefront at West End.   Burrr!

And another sportscaster, Madeline Adams, was on the beach in Long Beach, MS.

Talk about the "white sands" !!!   So let me show you why we are getting this once-in-a-lifetime snow.

The Polar Vortex remains well up in northern Canada, but lobes of it are rotating down over a deep upper trough that covers most of our nation.  This has brought down Arctic air all the way to us.

Remember the 3 key cities I was watching.  Denver (-4), Oklahoma City (+5) and San Antonio (29) all have gotten into the Artic air.  The upper trough has triggered a low to form far enough offshore to keep all of the precipitation snow.

This is the setup for the "Perfect Storm".  My yard now is about 2" deep, but the snowfall rate has increased.

No longer can you see any grass and 5-8" looks well within our reach.  After it ends this evening and skies clear, our next concern will be frozen water pipes. We're already down to 28.

North Shore could drop colder than 14 (maybe single digits?) with the South Shore away from Lake P. perhaps high teens?  No need to run any water yet.  Let's stay "hunkered down" this afternoon and tonight and enjoy the sights that only folks up north get to see.  I'll be out with my "snow broom" later since I have no snow shovel.  Next update after 4 PM.  Stay tuned!