Because of possible icy road conditions, Washington Parish Schools are closed Friday, January 24. An announcement will be made about Monday, January 27, but the expectation is that classes will resume then.
Although most of the snow that fell on Tuesday in Washington Parish is melting or has already melted, the melting snow created ice due to cold temperatures. And ice means that some roads and bridges could be hazardous. Schools were closed on Monday because of Martin Luther King Day, and they were closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because of the snowstorm and ice, before also being closed on Friday.
Tuesday's storm dropped between 3 and 4 inches of snow in the parish. While the snow was melting somewhat in many areas of the parish, icy conditions have made some roads and bridges hazardous. In particular, shaded areas on roadways and bridges remained icy and slippery. Because the snow has melted or is melting on many roadways, drivers may become overconfident about conditions. Icy areas on roads and bridges remain hazardous and extreme caution is required.
Tuesday's snowfall was very unusual in that the amount of snow actually increased in areas to the south of Washington Parish. It's usually the exact opposite. But because the storm was moving from west to east along the Gulf Coast, its impact was heavier the further south it went.
In New Orleans, for example, the snowfall broke a 100-year record in some areas, with 10.5 inches of snow measured in the Lakeview neighborhood and 10 inches measured in other areas of the city.
In St. Tammany Parish, immediately south of Washington Parish, Mandeville, Slidell, and Madisonville had from 5 to 8 inches of snow. These communities are right on Lake Pontchartrain, while further north
