Strange things are happening in South Louisiana this week. The Saints won the Super Bowl, and now Baton Rouge residents could awaken to a blanket of snow.The National Weather Service forecast a 100 percent chance of rain, sleet and possibly snow last night into early this morning and an 80 percent chance of snow throughout today. No snow is expected to accumulate, according to NWS.As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, classes were scheduled to proceed as normal today despite the anticipated inclement weather. “Based on the current information available, the University will remain open [tomorrow],” D’Ann Morris, interim director of the Emergency Operations Center, said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille. “If the weather conditions warrant a closure, the decision would change. LSU uses the Web site and broadcast e-mail for the purpose of communicating to the campus.”Louisiana State Climatologist Barry Keim said just a few degrees can dictate the difference between rain, sleet and snow.”I’m clearly stated on record as saying there would be no accumulation [in December 2008],” Keim said. “These forecasts, especially in these kinds of conditions, are probably the most difficult to make.”Drivers begin to experience problems traveling when the temperature on the road surfaces is right around freezing, said Bob Wagner, National Weather Service meteorologist. “Elevated things like bridges and overpasses tend to freeze,” Wagner said. “Those are the areas you’d be likely to have problems. If there are any, it would be late tonight and tomorrow morning.”Many schools in Baton Rouge closed after the overnight snowfall in 2008, but the University remained open during final exams. In 2008, Keim called major snowfall in Baton Rouge a “20 or 30 year event.” Assuming snowfall today, Baton Rouge will have seen snow in 2008, 2009 and 2010, something Keim attributed to El Niño.”If we get some snow, it’ll be the second measurable snow event of the season,” Keim said. “One reason for the active year this year is partly because of El Niño, which creates a scenario that is conducive to snow-like events.”Prior to the December 2008 snowfall, Baton Rouge last received a significant amount of snow — a little more than 3 inches — on Feb. 5, 1988, Keim said last year. Baton Rouge previously received about 3 inches of snow Jan. 23, 1940. The largest snowfall on record in Baton Rouge was in 1895 when 12 1/2 inches of snow blanketed the city, Keim said.  Prior to the 2010-09 winter, Keim said Baton Rouge most recently had two measurable snow events in winter 1973.- – – -Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]