LAPLACE — Another cold blast could affect St. John the Baptist Parish and the surrounding region as soon as Sunday, meteorologists said.

Computer models forecast a stronger cold front moving into Southeast Louisiana, according to National Weather Service New Orleans meteorologist Mike Efferson.

WVUE meteorologist Nicondra Norwood said it is too early to forecast the potential impact of the frontal passage.

“There is still potential for another deep freeze by the end of the winter,” Norwood said. “Statistically, the end of January and the beginning of February are some of our coldest weeks, and freezes have occurred as late as April.”

St. John the Baptist Parish has only recently recovered from the arctic blast that impacted residents with record breaking freezing temperatures, frozen roadways, several days of school closures and a loss of water pressure.

Efferson said greater New Orleans saw a low temperature of 20 degrees, the coldest recorded temperature since 1996 and a massive drop from the January average of 45 degrees.

Though the low temperatures are uncommon, they are not unheard of, according to Efferson.

He said the number of hard freeze events per winter in previous years has varied from zero to half a dozen, with the average falling around three.

Arctic blasts are less common, Norwood said, and weather patterns work in cycles dependent on factors lining up just right.

She said this winter’s cold weather stems from atmospheric conditions of the late winter season allowing East Coast troughs to push into the Deep South.   Any claims of cold winter weather impacting the upcoming hurricane season are unfounded, according to Norwood.

“I think people have a big anecdotal association with that because of two instances,” she said, citing the 2004 Christmas Day snowfall and the 1963 New Year’s Eve snowfall that preceded hurricanes Katrina and Betsy, respectively.

“In reality, those were just coincidences,” Norwood said.

St. John Parish officials responded to more than 250 calls in January regarding water pressure and leaking pipes.

In the event of another hard freeze, parish officials recommend covering pipes rather than straining the water systems by dripping faucets. If a faucet must be dripped, only run the furthest faucet from the water entry point of the home when the temperatures drop below freezing.

Backflow preventers should be covered with boxes when temperatures dip below freezing.

Those who need assistance turning off water should call 985-651-6800 or 985-652-9569.

To subscribe to emergency text messages and emails, visit sjbparish.com and click on “Stay Connected.”

Monitor local weather resources for up-to-date information about the incoming cold front.

If issued, weather advisories will appear on the St. John the Baptist Parish Facebook page.