The coldest Christmas in decades is in the forecast for South Mississippi. Will it snow?
A polar express of cold air from Siberia will bring bone-chilling cold temperatures and wind chills to South Mississippi Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — and there’s even a slim chance of snow flurries.
The National Weather Service forecasts lows around 20 degrees from Friday through Christmas Day in Gulfport and along the beach, with wind chills making it feeling even colder.
It will be even a few degrees colder north of I-10, forecasters say.
Residents will want to bundle up to walk the dog each morning and leave the water in their homes run all night so the pipes don’t freeze.
“A bitter blast of cold air will challenge records that have stood since the 1980s from the northern Rockies to the Southeast, as well as stress energy grids, in the run up to the Christmas holiday,” said Bill Deger, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.
Company traveling to South Mississippi from the Midwest and Northeast may instead be stranded at home — or worse, at the airport — by a blizzard predicted Friday.
A possibility of snow flurries is forecast for the Hattiesburg area and north Friday morning, and there’s a slight chance of seeing flurries farther south in Mississippi.
Hard Freeze Warning
South Mississippi is under a Hard Freeze Warning as temperatures begin falling Thursday nigh, and drop into the low to mid 20s by Friday morning. Sub freezing temperatures are also expected Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings.
A Wind Chill Advisory also has been issued for wind chills as low as 10 beginning Friday morning.
The National Weather Service warns residents to prepare for the dangerous cold weather and to protect people, pets, plants and pipes.
Cold weather shelters
Cold weather shelters are opening across the Coast while the polar vortex is over South Mississippi, which could last beyond Christmas Day.
▪ Harrison County — two cold-weather shelters will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In D’Iberville, Kenny Fournier Multipurpose Center, 10395 Automall Parkway, opens at 5 p.m. each day. In Gulfport, Salvation Army Center of Hope, 2019 22nd St. opens at 6 p.m. each day
Coast Transit Authority will provide free transportation to the D’Iberville shelter by calling 228-896-8080.
▪ In Hancock County, the shelter will open at 6 p.m. Thursday through Monday at the Emergency Operations Center Building at 18333 Mississippi 603 in Kiln. Anyone who needs a ride to the shelter should call the Hancock County Emergency Management Office at 228-255-0942 or the Hancock County Central Dispatch at 228-255-9191.
▪ In Pearl River County, the Poplarville Community Saferoom at 124 Rodeo St. and the Picayune community saferoom at 501 Laurel St. on Thursday at 4 p.m.They will remain open through Monday.
“While the push of extreme cold will not last as long as the extreme push seen in February 2021, temperatures will likely not begin to rebound until about Dec. 27,” said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok.
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 12:00 PM.
