ANNOUNCER: MARDI GRAS 2021.
THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT.
BUT NOTHING WILL EVER CANCEL FAT TUESDAY.
TODAY, AS FAMILIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA BRING NEW
WAYS TO CELEBRATE.
MARGARET: AND I AM HERE IN SPIRIT THIS YEAR.
ANNOUNCER: WDSU BRINGS YOU CARNIVAL CENTRAL SPIRIT OF MARDI
GRAS.
CHRISTINA: IT IS 11:01.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE HISTORIC GALLIER HALL IN NEW ORLEANS.
THIS FAT TUESDAY, THE TRADITION OF SALUTING ROYALTY CONTINUES
BUT IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY.
HAPPY MARDI GRAS.
I'M CHRISTINA ROTHKINS.
RANDI: TEAM 6 IS ACROSS OUR AREA ON A FRIGID MORNING.
BUT DON'T WORRY.
IF YOU'RE STUCK INSIDE, WE ARE BRINGING THE SPIRIT OF MARDI
GRAS RIGHT TO YOUR HOME SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE THOSE
TEMPERATURES.
FIRST UP, WE ARE HONORING THE TWO KREWES WHO REIGN SUPREME ON
FAT TUESD WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ZULU
KING AND THE FACT THAT THERE'S NOT ONE YEAR.
THE PANDEMIC HIT NO OTHER MARDI GRAS KREWE HARDER THAN THE MEN
OF ZULOW BUT THE ORGANIZATION HAS TURN INTO PASSION HELPING
THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
INSTEAD OF PREPPING THROUGH THEIR ANNUAL CARNIVAL
ACTIVITIES, ZULU HAS BEEN POSITIVE AND BUSY WITH MASK
GIVEAWAYS AND HOSTING FOOD DRIVES.
THE KREWE OF ZULU SAYS THEY PLAN TO BE BACK NEXT YEAR COCONUTS IN
TOW.
>> HAIL REX CHRISTINA: THE HANG OF CARNIVAL
NOT ROLLING DOWN ST. CHARLES AVENUE THIS YEAR BUT THE MEN
HAVE BEEN BUSY THE SEASON SPREADING THE SPIRIT OF THE
HOLIDAY TO THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE PANDEMIC FIGHT
RIGHT NOW.
YOU'VE BEEN HEARING THIS ALL MORNING.
FAT TUESDAY STILL WORTH CELEBRATING AND THE TRADITION OF
SALUTING ROYALTY CONTINUES SO GO AHEAD AND GRAB YOUR BEVERAGE.
THE KREWE OF REX SHARED THIS VIDEO WITH US TO TOAST TO YOU.
>> ON BEHALF OF REX, THE KING OF CARNIVAL, HAIL NEW ORLEANS AND
HAPPY MARDI GRAS.
WE SALUTE THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS FOR CELEBRATING SAFELY
THIS CARNIVAL SEASON.
MARDI GRAS IS FOR YOU.
YOU ARE MARDI GRAS AND WE NEED YOU HEALTHY AND HAPPY FOR THIS
AMAZING TRADITION UNLIKE ANY IN THE WORLD TO CONTINUE IN THE
FUTURE.
FIRST, A TOAST TO OUR FRIENDS AT ZULU.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THE PARADE AGAIN NEXT YEAR WITH ALL
OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ZULU CLUB AND A TOAST TO THE MARDI GRAS
INDIANS FOR PRESERVING THE SPECIAL TRADITION AND A TOAST TO
MAYOR CONTREL.
WE FOLLOW YOUR LEAD TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CELEBRATE SAFELY AND
DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR.
MAY THE SPIRIT OF CARNIVAL NEVER CEASE TO LOVE.
HAIL NEW ORLEANS.
HAPPY MARDI GRAS, EVERYBODY.
♪ >> ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE
CITIZENS OF THE GREAT CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IT IS TRULY AN
HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO EXTEND A TOAST TO OUR PARTNERS WHO HAVE
MADE SURE THAT THE CULTURE OF THIS CITY LIVES ON THROUGH MARDI
GRAS 2021.
ALL HAIL REX, HAIL ZULU, HAIL OUR MARDI GRAS INDIANS AND ALL
HAIL THE KREWE OF HOUSEBOATS ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS
GREAT CITY.
HAPPY MARDI GRA CHRISTINA: THE VIRTUAL WAYS TO
CELEBRATE THIS FAT TUESDAY.
VIRTUAL IS THE BEST THING TO DO BECAUSE THIS IS THE COLDEST
FEBRUARY 16 MARDI GRAS ON RECORD.
RANDI: LET'S GET A CHECK OF THE FRIGID FORECAST WITH KWEILYN
MURPHY.
KWEILYN: WE'RE STARTING TO SEE BRIGHT SPOTS.
THE ICONS HAVE CHANGED ON THE RIGHT, SLIDELL AND GULFPORT,
SUNSHINE.
29 DEGREES.
WE HAVE A CAMERA, NORTHSHORE.
THIS IS COMING IN OFF THE TWIN SPAN SO INDICATIONS OF SUNSHINE
THERE BUT AS YOU GET OFF THE TWIN SPAN INTO ST. TAMMANY
PARISH, YOU CAN SEE SUNSHINE.
WATCHING CLOUDS START TO BREAK UP AND THEY'RE MOVING.
WIND CHILL VALUES DOWN TO THE TEENS AND LOW 20'S AROUND
HAMMOND SO STILL FEELING THE COLD AIR ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES
ARE COMING UP.
CLOUD BREAKS OVER ST. TAMMANY BACK INTO AREAS CLOSER TO
MANDEVILLE AND LACOMBE.
COAST OF MISSISSIPPI, ST. BERNARD, CLOUDS ERODING
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING INTO AFTERNOON BUT STILL A SLOW CLIMB
IN TEMPERATURES SO RIGHT AROUND 1:00, 33 DEGREES, JUST ABOVE THE
FREEZING MARK.
CLOSER TO UPPER 30'S TO AROUND 40 FOR THE AFTERNOON.
ANOTHER COLD NIGHT IN THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WEDNESDAY.
RANDI, CHRISTINA.
RANDI: TRAVERS MACKEL IS CHECKING OUT THE FRENCH QUARTER
AND LACK OF CROWDS ON A COLD DAY.
CHRISTINA: WE KNOW IT FEELS COLD BUT CAN YOU FEEL THE CARNIVAL
SPIRIT?
TRAVERS: NOT REALLY.
LET'S HOPE WE NEVER SEE THIS AGAIN.
WE'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
BOURBON STREET EMPTY ON FAT TUESDAY, POLICE ON EVERY CORNER,
BARRICADED UP.
IN YEARS PAST, 2010 AND 2015, IT WAS ALMOST AS COLD.
IT WAS PACKED DOWN HERE.
PEOPLE WOULD BRAVE THE ELEMENTS TO DO ALL THE CRAZY THINGS THAT
HAPPEN ON BOURBON STREET.
THIS IS BECAUSE OF COVID-19 AND THE RESTRICTIONS, PUT IN PLACE
TWO WEEKS AGO.
THE MAYOR TOLD PEOPLE DON'T COME HERE, BARS ARE SHUT DOWN.
YES, IT IS COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE BUT WE
ALL KNOW THAT A LITTLE WEATHER, WHETHER HOT OR COLD, DOESN'T
STOP THE CRAZINESS THAT IS DRINKING, THE EATING, THE
BALCONIES AND PARTYING ON MARDI GRAS DAY.
THAT'S LOOKING DOWN TOWARDS CANAL STREET.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE BARS ARE SHUT.
A LOT OF OTHER BUSINESSES CLOSED DOWN.
BOURBON STREET, GHOST TOWN, SHUT DOWN, ON MARDI GRAS DAY.
RANDI, CHRISTINA?
CHRISTINA: CERTAINLY SOMETHING ELSE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, LIVE ON BOURBON STREET.
TO THE NORTHSHORE WHERE IT WOULD BE LIT UP IN PURPLE, GREEN AND
GOLD TODAY.
RANDI: THIS MORNING WE HAVE BEEN SEEING WHITE IN THE FORM OF SNOW
FLURRIES.
JENNIFER CROCKETT CAUGHT UP WITH SOME OF THAT IN TANGE PAO PARISH
JENNIFER: LOTS OF ICE ON THE SIDES OF YARDS AND THIS
RETENTION POND FROZEN WITH A THIN SHEET OF ICE AND LIGHT
DUSTING OF SNOW FLURRIES HERE IN HAMMOND THIS MORNING.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH PEOPLE FROM MISSISSIPPI TO TEXAS AND HERE IN
HAMMOND.
THEY SAY, WHAT?
THIS IS COLD.
>> THIS IS TRAUMATIZING.
WE'RE NOT USED TO THIS.
IEN FEHR: LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO SEE HOW THEIR CARS
FARED AND FINDING LOTS OF ICE.
THIS TRUCK WITH ICICLES DANGLING OFF OF THE TAILGATE, WHAT WE'RE
SEEING ALL OVER TANGE PAHOE PARISH.
I'M JENNIFER CROCKETT.
RANDI: FOLKS IN WASHINGTON PARISH ALSO WOKE UP TO SOME
WHITE STUFF.
CHRISTINA: A SIGHT TO SEE ON THE COLDEST FEBRUARY 16 MARDI GRAS
ON RECORD.
LET'S CHECK IN WITH HEATH ALLEN JOINING US WITH ANOTHER LOOK AT
CONDITIONS ON THIS HOUR.
HEATH: GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
IF YOU'VE GOT TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO, TAKE THE -- TODAY OVER
YESTERDAY.
TODAY, THIS LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW IS CONTINUING TO FALL, IT
KIND OF PLEASANT.
TEMPERATURES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE WARMING UP A LITTLE BIT ALTHOUGH
WE'RE STILL IN THE 20'S RIGHT NOW.
CREWS ARE WORKING HARD TO GET POWER TURNED BACK ON AND PEOPLE
WERE LINING UP.
THOSE PEOPLE WITH WATER PROBLEMS, ELECTRICITY PROBLEMS,
THEY'RE LINING UP TO GO AHEAD AND GET FOOD, HEAD BACK HOME AND
SIT IN THERE AND STAY AS WARM AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN AND ENJOY
CARNIVAL IN A REALLY, REALLY DIFFERENT WAY.
GUYS, BACK TO YOU ♪
CHRISTINA: THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO KEEP THE CULTURE ALIVE.
STILL TO COME, HOW THE MARDI GRAS INDIAN NATIONS AND RECALL
CULTURE BARRIERS ARE PIVOTING IN THE CARNIVAL SEASON IN INTRICATE
FASHION.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THE CUISINE OF CARNIVAL.
WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN GET THE TASTE OF THE SEASON RIGHT IN
YOUR O