BATON ROUGE — Mayor-President Sid Edwards was cautiously optimistic Friday that East Baton Rouge Parish would dodge the worst of an approaching winter storm but advised residents that there was no way to be "over-prepared" for snow, sleet or freezing rain.

The city-parish, plus an area northwest of a line from Bayou Sorrel to Bogalusa, are currently covered by a winter storm watch through Sunday evening and an extreme cold watch into the first half of next week.

Storm Station meteorologists expect temperatures to drop into the low 20s in Baton Rouge by Monday morning, then into the teens by early Tuesday. Such low readings could freeze any water left over from weekend rains, impacting traffic.

"Our Department of Maintenance currently has 23,500 pounds of salt on hand and ready for deployment across the parish," Edwards said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army planned to open warming centers once temperatures begin to drop.

"Everybody's getting on the same page and we're getting ready for it," Edwards said. "You cannot be over-prepared."

The time to prepare for the cold and possible ice was this week, said Clay Reeves, the city's emergency director.

"Now is the time when it's in the high 60s to go out and get prepared if you don’t have enough food in your refrigerator," he said. "We know Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s going to get really, really cold."

Central Louisiana is expecting an ice storm, and snow is predicted for points farther north. 

Fire Chief Michael Kimble said anyone without smoke detectors in their home should call the fire department to receive one. He also cautioned against using extension cords with electric space heaters because of the fire risk.

And Department of Public Works Chief William Daniels said his employees were on standby to respond to bad weather — and that residents should stay home if possible.

"If conditions deteriorate, please do not get out on the roads if you don’t have to," he said. Public workers will be out and about, and "they don’t need to dodging cars sliding off the roads."