A cold front will sweep through Vicksburg and the rest of the state beginning tonight, bringing with it sub-freezing temperatures but almost no chance of snow.

Forecast

High today                58

Low tonight               27

High Thursday          37

Low Thursday night  18

High Friday               38

Low Friday night       25

High Saturday           52

Low Saturday night   39

“We don’t have a hard-freeze warning issued for Vicksburg right now, but we will probably put one out in the coming days,” said Mark McAllister, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson.  

A hard-freeze warning is issued when forecast temperatures are below the freezing point of 32 degrees for multiple days. Since 1960, about 20 hard-freeze warnings have been issued in Vicksburg. The mercury is expected to dip below the freezing point tonight, but the coldest weather will likely come Thursday night when the forecast low is 18.

Highs Thursday and Friday will hover just above the freezing point, and McAllister said seasonal temperatures in the 50s should return by Saturday afternoon. There is a very low chance of any snow falling over Vicksburg in the next three days, he added.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is encouraging residents to bundle up, prepare their homes to protect water pipes and keep their pets indoors. 

“The biggest thing we’d like people to do is check in on their neighbors, especially the elderly and disabled who may not be able to prepare for the weather themselves,” said MEMA spokesman Greg Flynn.

MEMA recommends insulating pipes and allowing faucets to drip slightly to avoid freezing, and to learn how to shut off main water service in case a pipe bursts.

Warren County Extension Service Director John Coccaro said the winter wheat crop planted in November should be OK. He added homeowners with native plants and shrubs in their yards should not see any losses; however, those who have planted non-native species should bring potted plants indoors and cover planted species.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.