For the first time ever, Lake Charles and much of Acadiana are under a blizzard warning as snow blankets the area Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service issued the advisory just before 6 a.m. It lasts until 12 p.m.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and state officials held a news briefing on Wednesday to update residents on the unprecedented weather event and its ongoing challenges.

Aside from a boil water advisory in Lafayette, most of the state’s public utilities fared relatively well Tuesday when a winter weather system brought blizzard conditions to parts of Louisiana and covered some area with as much as 10 inches of snow. But officials warn that could change very quickly over the next few days.

Lafayette Parish schools will remain closed Thursday because of the snow storm and low temperatures. Schools were already closed Tuesday and Wednesday but officials with the Lafayette Parish School System announced closures would continue.

This Is Home Fest is returning for its fifth year, featuring a celebration of food, music and community. This year’s festival will take place April 26 at the Civic Center in Lake Charles, according to a news release.

The Lafayette Parish School Board are holding meetings to hear the superintendent's "vision" for the system, as well as budget processes, at the Golden Nugget.

The cold temperatures are coming from a not uncommon expansion in the Polar Vortex, which are counter-clockwise rotating air currents that typically hang over the Arctic.

Interstate 10 from the Louisiana-Texas state line to as far east as Sorrento or Gramercy could be fully open to traffic in both directions at some point Thursday afternoon, Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Joe Donahue said.

Landry said snow and ice will create treacherous travel conditions in regions where there are accumulations and plunging temperatures could create water pressure and delivery problems throughout the state.

Southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana are under its first ever blizzard warning Tuesday as the winter storm rolls through

According to DOTD, de-icing efforts are starting in the Lafayette and Lake Charles area. Crews will then work east as progress is made on the roads.

What this means for P.O. Box Customers in Louisiana is this. In order to receive a shipment from UPS you will have to provide a specific shipping address. It must be a physical location as shipping to a PO Box is no longer allowed.