News

Winter mix moves across SW, central Louisiana

by Walter Pierce

National Weather Service forecaster Kent Kuyter said a snow and icy mix continued to fall along the Interstate 10 corridor with 1-2 inches on the ground.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Icy road conditions over parts of Louisiana were making for hazardous driving conditions Friday.

National Weather Service forecaster Kent Kuyter said a snow and icy mix continued to fall along the Interstate 10 corridor with 1-2 inches on the ground.

State police were working several major accidents Friday with at least one person killed in the Lake Charles area. Another accident on Interstate 49 northbound at La. Highway 29 in St. Landry Parish had all northbound lanes closed for several hours.

Troopers said the fatal crash was near the Interstate 10 bridge at Lake Charles. Troopers said they worked 15 minor accidents overnight in southwest Louisiana, all weather related.

The elevated portion of I-49 through Alexandria was closed and some bridges and overpasses were closed in other parts of the state.

The weather service said a line of sleet and snow moved across the Baton Rouge area into the Florida parishes Friday closing several public and private school districts.

In addition, McNeese State University in Lake Charles and Southeastern Louisiana University at Hammond are closed.

Classes at all of Northwestern State University's campuses were canceled Friday. They were to resume Monday, officials said.

LSU at Alexandria was also closed Friday. KATC-TV (http://bit.ly/1d0aIJS) reports the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was shutting down, but expected to resume normal operations by 12:30 p.m. Friday.

State offices were closed Friday in the following parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Evangeline, Rapides, Vernon, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. Martin, St. Landry, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Mary, Vermilion, Grant, Catahoula, East Baton Rouge, Jackson, LaSalle, Livingston, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, St. Helena, Winn, and Concordia.