Ice Storm Could Make Travel Impossible in Shreveport This Weekend

Grocery stores and gas stations in Shreveport have been packed with people gearing up for this winter storm. It is expected to arrive in north Louisiana Friday evening.

So How Bad Will the Storm Be?

Let's quote Richard Lewelling from the Weather Channel: "It's going to be bad, bad, bad...this is bad." 4 bads. That sounds bad. But will it be ice, snow or freezing rain? That has yet to be determined. The latest maps show the Shreveport-Bossier metro could see accumulations of .75 of an inch. While that might not sound like much, it can be devastating on the roads and in our trees.

How Does this Storm Compare to the 1994 Ice Storm

Lewelling says in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana 741K lost power, 490 water systems lost water. 3.7 million acres of commercial forest land was damaged, 8000 power poles and 4700 miles of power lines came down. $27 million in tree damage to cities. He says 1/2 inch of ice adds 500 pounds of weight to power lines.

What Are Some of the Predictions

Lewelling tells KEEL News this could turn out to be a "crippling ice event for the Shreveport area." He also says this storm could make "travel difficult, if not impossible." He is also concerned about "significant power outages across the entire region."

The Weather Channel

When Will the Winter Storm Arrive

Michael Berry with the National Weather Service says "the conversion to freezing rain just may be later Friday Night…maybe closer to midnight or even later."

But he says most, if not all of Saturday and Saturday Night should be subfreezing and that means freezing rain/possibly mixed with sleet.

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Berry is predicting "somewhere between one quarter and one half inch accumulation of ice is quite likely Saturday through Sunday. He says if we get an inch of accumulations, that would have extreme impacts on the area, but "I don’t think we’re there yet."