As Oktibbbeha County prepares for the new year, residents can expect to see freezing temperatures throughout all of this upcoming week.
Meteorologist for the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson Thomas Winesett said Saturday will be the warmest day for quite a while. He said the high temperatures will be in the upper 40's.
As the week progresses, Winesett said the high on Sunday will be about 33 degrees and will drop "well into the teens" across a large portion of the area, reaching as low as 15 to 17 degrees.
Winesett said every night of next week, residents can expect the low at night to be in the low teens.
He said the only time we will see a brief warm up out of the teens is potentially on Friday.
"Tuesday into Wednesday morning may be the coldest night," Winesett said. "There is potential for it to get closer to 12 or 13 degrees."
In addition with freezing temperatures, Winesett said there will be some wind chill issues Sunday night into Sunday morning.
"We are looking at wind chills well into the single digits," Winesett said.
Winesett told the Starkville Daily News the reason why Oktibbeha County and the south is receiving such cold weather, comes from a big trough of low pressure. He said the low pressure is currently sitting in Canada and is dipping into the northern plains and the midwest.
"What we have is some strong pieces of energy that are going to move into that trough of low pressure to help drop it further south," Winesett said. "It'll help drive the arctic cold front through on Sunday."
With cold weather, Winesett said comes a few safety concerns. He said residents want to limit their outdoor exposure, and if people are going to be outside, to layer properly and use all warming methods.
Winesett said to bring all pets inside and to make sure pipes are insulated and warm, as well as leaving faucets dripping to prevent freezing.
"Especially when you get down into the teens like we are forecasting, that's when we start to have a lot of issues with pipes bursting and damage to infrastructure," Winesett said.
Winesett said this week, residents can expect it to be extremely cold without a break in temperatures and encourages all residents to take this event seriously.
"It'll be about a week of cold weather," Winesett said, "This is actually one of the longest stretches of cold weather that we have seen in quite a few years."
Oktibbeha County EMA Director Kristen Campanella said the National Weather Service's confidence continues to increase showing some portions of the region will see "light accumulations of ice" due to freezing rain and sleet late Saturday night through Sunday, as colder air begins to move into the region from the north.
Campanella said the road department is ready to distribute salt on bridges and roadways if and when it is needed.
"They will not begin putting out salt until precipitation begins," Campanella said. "If they put the salt out too early, cars will have it all off the roadway before it is needed."
She said residents could see some light accumulation on elevated surfaces such as roads, walkways, trees and power lines.
"Be sure to check on elderly and disabled to be sure they have adequate heat sources," Campanella said. "Protect your pipes, pets and plants."
Campanella said while heating homes, residents should be careful and attentive. The National Fire Protection Association states half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.
"Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from flammable objects and to plug heaters into the wall, not in power strips," Campanella said "Never use an oven as a heating source due to carbon monoxide poisoning."
Campanella said it is important to have an emergency supply kit in your home, which includes blankets and flashlights. She said it is also a good idea to have cat litter or sand in case walkways are icy.
In the event of a winter storm, Campanella said to keep devices charged in order to access weather and safety information.