The freezing rains and ice associated with an incoming winter storm appear increasingly likely to miss New Orleans over the weekend, but bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills are all but certain early next week.
Cities north of Baton Rouge and Bogalusa, and in several surrounding states, are bracing for power outages, infrastructure failures and iced over roads and bridges. But National Weather Service forecasters said Thursday that the northshore, New Orleans and coastal parishes are more likely to see good old regular rain Saturday through Sunday evening.
Overnight lows Friday and Saturday night are forecast to stay well above freezing, though NWS forecasters said they will continue to closely monitor the situation. Some lingering rains Monday morning could coincide with freezing morning lows, according to the NWS forecast…