National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have issued a freeze warning for parts of Alabama and Mississippi for Friday night as temperatures are expected to dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Both the Birmingham and Jackson NWS offices issued the warnings on Friday morning, and they are expected to go into effect by midnight and remain in place until 8 a.m. local time Saturday morning.
However, the cold spell is expected to be short-lived, as the most recent temperature outlook issued by the NWS Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average temperatures for the southern U.S. from November 27 to December 1.
Alabama
The freeze warning for the Birmingham, Alabama, forecast region includes Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston counties.
Temperatures as low as 31 degrees Fahrenheit are expected.
"Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing," the warning said. It added that people should take action to protect tender plants from the cold and prevent the possible freezing and bursting of pipes.
"Those that have in ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above ground pipes to protect them from freezing," the warning said.
Mississippi
Temperatures could dip as low as 29 degrees Fahrenheit for the Jackson, Mississippi, forecast region.
The warning was in place for "portions of central, northeast, and east central Mississippi."
Average lows for the Jackson area this time of year are in the lower 40s degrees Fahrenheit, NWS meteorologist Alan Campbell told Newsweek, meaning the lows on Friday night will be more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.
"It looks like tonight is going to be the coldest night through this little cold stretch here," Campbell said. "Once we get into Saturday night and definitely once we get into Sunday, those lows for the most part across the area do begin to recover back up to normal."
Some parts of eastern Mississippi may remain chilly on Saturday night but will return to normal by Sunday morning. Temperatures will rise above normal overnight on Sunday.
"We will be going from one extreme to the other," Campbell said, adding low temperatures on Monday morning will be in the 50s degrees Fahrenheit.
Other Cold Weather Warnings
A freeze watch stretched even further in Alabama and Mississippi and included parts of Arkansas and Louisiana as well. With temperatures dipping to 31 degrees Fahrenheit in the affected areas, frost could form.
A frost advisory is in place for southern Alabama, southern Mississippi and part of the Florida panhandle, with temperatures expected to dip into the low 30s degrees Fahrenheit.
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