A frontal system expected to hit Warren County Monday night with frigid temperatures, high winds and possibly up to 2 inches of snow passed through the area with what officials called a “light dusting” of snow.

“The cold air did not get here in time,” Warren County Emergency Management director John Elfer said Tuesday. “We had moisture, but we didn’t have enough cold air.”

He said emergency management officials discussed the possibilities that could occur from the storm. “It was going to have to be the perfect storm, so to speak, and it didn’t marry up.”

Allen Campbell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Jackson, said the cold air “lagged behind a little bit more than expected in what the computer models were showing.”

Also, he said, drier air surged into the area “and kind of ate away at the rainfall shield, and never let that moist air meet up with the cold air to really get that snowfall across the area.

“It’s always those little things that come together or not come together that makes an overall big difference,” he said. “But it does sound like across a good chunk of the area everybody at least saw a good dusting of up to maybe half an inch or up around there.”

The potential threat of snow and ice forced Vicksburg Warren School District officials and officials with Porter’s Chapel Academy to close school for the day Tuesday with plans to resume classes Wednesday. Vicksburg Catholic Schools were open Tuesday with classes beginning at 10 a.m.

Dodged it

City and county officials said they received no reports of weather-related problems.

“I think we dodged the worst of it on this one,” Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said. “The night shift reported some pretty heavy flurries sometime between 2 (a.m.) and about 4, but only rooftops were affected. We never had any reports of roads being impacted by anything. It’s just clear and cold this morning.”

North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield, who is over Vicksburg’s public works, said he had not received any reports of problems.

“I was real surprised, the way they blew this (the weather) up, but then we’ve gotten used to that,” he said.

Campbell said the forecast for the rest of the week calls for clear skies with the possibility of rain later in the week.

He said Tuesday was expected to be the coldest day of the week with high winds. He said the weather will begin warming up through week with a possible chance of showers Friday. The weekend, he said, is forecast to be clear other than some small chances for rain across south Mississippi.