A warming shelter is opening in Lafayette as the area prepares for snow and possible freezing rain.

The shelter will open at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Dupuis Recreation Center, 1212 E. Pont Des Mouton Road, Lafayette Consolidated Government announced Saturday. The shelter is open for anyone who does not have access to adequate heating or is experiencing homelessness.

Anyone who needs the warming shelter can arrive starting at 6 p.m. Sunday. Those who need transportation can go to the St. Joseph Diner, 613 W. Simcoe St., starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The center will remain open until temperatures rise above freezing.

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Lafayette could see 3-5 inches of snow Tuesday. Temperatures will begin to drop into the 20s Sunday before dipping into the teens Tuesday night.

The wind chill, which is how the temperature feels to the human skin, is expected to be in the teens to single digits Tuesday and Wednesday.

"These conditions will be life threatening to people exposed for extended periods and could result in significant damage to unprotected pipes, animals, and agricultural crops," the National Weather Service in Lake Charles wrote in a Saturday advisory.

The area is under a winter storm watch from Monday night through Tuesday night.

This is the second time the city has opened a warming shelter this year in response to freezing temperatures.