ST. TAMMANY PARISH (WGNO)— A hard freeze is expected on the North Shore for the next few days. WGNO’s Kenny Lopez explains what leaders in St. Tammany Parish are telling their residents to do to stay safe with the freezing temperatures.

The roads in St. Tammany Parish that typically cause problems when there’s winter weather are ready.

“The sand was put out there. We want to make sure our citizens can travel. We maintain about 70 bridges and overpasses in St. Tammany Parish. We don’t expect any precipitation so we believe the roads and bridges will be able to stay open throughout the weekend. It is just going to be cold,” Michael Vinsanau, Director of Public Information for St. Tammany Parish Government said.

Although rain and ice is not expected, Vinsanau said other precautions need to be taken for the cold.

“Just be aware. Be vigilant. We will be dealing with temperatures in the 20’s and 30’s in the next few days. Protect your home, protect yourself and your family and check on your pets and neighbors who may need assistance,” he said.

To protect your home, he suggests wrapping your pipes.

“Wrap those pipes. It is one of those things in St. Tammany Parish that only happens once in awhile, but we got to make sure our homes are safe as well,” he said.

And his best advice…

“It is just going to be very cold, so we are telling folks to bundle up, and stay inside if you can,” he said.