Editor’s note: This story has been updated since its original publication to reflect the closure of city-parish offices at noon today.
Baton Rouge is getting another dose of wintry weather today, with a hard freeze expected tonight and a possible mix of sleet and snow.
The frigid weather has lead to the closure of schools throughout Louisiana, including in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Capital Area Transit Systems says it’s keeping an eye on the road and weather conditions, but is operating as normal as of this morning. LSU is also monitoring conditions but remains open today. The Southern University System, meanwhile, announced the closures of campuses in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.
Temperatures began plunging around 9 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Highs are projected to reach the upper 30s today with a low of 19. And around 10:17 a.m., the Division of Administration announced that all state offices would close at noon and remain closed through Wednesday due to the weather. City-parish offices also will close at noon and remain closed tomorrow.
“The Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Crisis Action Team is monitoring the situation in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and The National Weather Service.,” the mayor’s office says. “City-Parish officials are continually monitoring potentially hazardous road conditions and will announce any road closures or de-icing activities.”
For some though, business carried on today. Beau Dicharry, owner of Brew-Bacher’s Grill, and Neal Hendrick, owner of Zippy’s, say they were ready to accommodate employees and customers.
Brew-Bacher’s will have plenty of soup on hand and managers are making last minute arrangements for employees with school-aged children, Dicharry says.
“Our employees are very important to us so our managers are scrambling today to have shifts covered,” he says, adding his restaurants may close early if roads and bridges are shuttered.
Zippy’s will remain open since many customers arrive by foot, says Hendrick, who adds the restaurant likes to be open for customers.
In the northern part of the state, both lanes Interstate 49 in the Shreveport area were closed early this morning due to snow. Parts of I-20 and I-220 were also closed.
