Hard freeze warnings for Thursday night

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Frigid weather is approaching Mississippi and some areas of the state could experience record low readings by early Friday.

Hard freeze watches and warnings are in place for Thursday night, especially in southern counties, as some of the coldest weather in years spreads southward to the Gulf of Mexico.

Highs Thursday are expected to be below freezing most of the day in northern counties, with readings only reaching the lower 40s in the extreme south, said National Weather Service forecaster Chad Entremont in Jackson.

Lows by early Friday are expected to range from near 10 degrees in the extreme north to the upper 20s in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Frigid temperatures are expected to continue into the day Friday, with highs in the north only reaching the 20s.