Louisiana has one more day of freezing weather before a brief thaw — then another arctic blast will bottom out temperatures this weekend.
Why it matters: The ice storm left at least three people dead in the state and thousands without power.
The big picture: New Orleans remains under an extreme cold warning through noon Tuesday.
- Frostbite, hypothermia and ruptured pipes are all possible, the National Weather Service says.
- Temperatures will dip again Tuesday night before climbing into the 50s on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Threat level: The storm’s death toll increased Monday, with state health officials confirming an 86-year-old man died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Two other men died over the weekend of hypothermia, LDH says.
- Officials say they are investigating two more potential hypothermia deaths.
Zoom out: President Trump approved Gov. Jeff Landry’s emergency declaration request, unlocking federal resources.
- FEMA is assisting in the response, Landry says, and DOTD crews from south Louisiana are heading to the northern part of the state to help.
- Landry says he plans to request a major disaster declaration, which would increase the federal funding available for cleanup efforts.
What we’re watching: Another cold front is expected to arrive Friday, says NWS meteorologist Phil Grigsby.
- It should be dry though, so icy roads won’t be an issue, he says.
- But, paradegoers should plan on warm outfits with temps in the 20s expected Friday and Saturday nights.
What to know
Power: About 85,000 Entergy customers across the state were without electricity as of 1pm Monday, according to the company’s outage map.
- Entergy expects to have most of the power restored by Wednesday night.
- The majority of the outages are along the I-20 corridor.
Roads: New Orleans was back to normal Monday, and I-10 remains open throughout the state…