LSU will close at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday due to a severe weather threat that could bring wind gusts up to 70 mph, hail and tornadoes. Classes and activities scheduled for 12:30 p.m. or later are canceled, the university announced Tuesday evening.  
Residence halls, on-campus apartments and dining halls will remain open.
Baton Rouge and surrounding areas are at an increased risk of damaging winds and tornadoes Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s storm prediction center.
Much of the lower Mississippi valley, extending from Baton Rouge and Alexandria to Monroe and north-eastward, is under moderate risk of severe weather. The worst of it is expected from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to WAFB.