Extreme Prolonged Freezing Conditions for Mississippi and Louisiana Persists Until Thursday

The National Weather Service said on Sunday that intense and prolonged freezing conditions will likely last until Thursday in southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana. Some areas will experience temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

As an arctic air mass sweeps into the already cold southern United States, forecasters are warning of hazardous holiday travel conditions and potentially fatally low temperatures for much of the country.

The National Weather Service predicts that by Thursday night, Jackson, Mississippi, will experience a low of 13 degrees, or -10.6 Celsius, and Nashville, Tennessee, will experience a low of 5 degrees, or -15 Celsius.

On Monday, the NWS released a set of Flood Warnings for most areas in Mississippi and Louisiana. The Flood Warnings will expire on different dates, with the latest on December 27.

Prolonged Freezing Conditions

The strong arctic front is expected to move across the eastern two-thirds of the nation in the days leading up to Christmas, potentially bringing "the coldest air of the season" this coming week, according to the most recent projections from the federal Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The center issued a massive warning of extremely cold weather that would spread across the Northern Rockies/Northern Plains, the Midwest, and much of the Eastern US by the middle of the week before reaching the Gulf Coast and the weekend.

Atlanta

As reported by the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, Georgia, forecasters predict even colder air by the end of the week for Atlanta, where temperatures are expected to drop below freezing early on Monday. The Weather Service predicts that Atlanta's low on Friday night will be roughly 13 degrees Fahrenheit and that Saturday's high will be close to 29, which is still below freezing.

George Chidi, an advocate for homeless people in Atlanta, is well aware of the heartbreaking reality that freezing temperatures have the power to instantly take lives.

He went to check on a woman in downtown Atlanta who had serious mental health issues earlier this year and discovered she had passed away from suspected hypothermia only hours earlier. He said the body was discovered outside the Greyhound bus station, which is available round-the-clock in the center of Atlanta.

Read also: Heavy Lake-Effect Snow Expected in Western New York and Midwest; Colder Weather to Continue Until Christmas 

Florida

While Florida won't experience a white Christmas, that weekend is expected to be unusually cold across the state, according to forecasters.

On Christmas Eve, temperatures in northern Florida cities like Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Pensacola are expected to be in the 20s F with highs of around 40 F. On Christmas Eve, Orlando, Tampa, and even Miami are not anticipated to break the 50-degree mark.

Frank Pereira, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said that The infrastructure and travel were both impacted by this snow because it was so heavy and wet.

Utility companies in the Northeast brought in additional workers from other states, but were constrained by slick roads and hazardous conditions, Clarion Ledger reports.

Nebraska

As dangerously low wind chills are anticipated, Nebraska will continue to be under a Wind Chill Warning until Thursday morning. On Monday and Tuesday nights, wind chills will be at or below 30 below zero, and on Wednesday and Thursday nights, they will be at or below 50 below zero.

A Winter Storm Watch has also been issued for significant blowing snow and heavy snowfall of 2 to 4 inches. Over parts of north-central and west-central Nebraska, the announcement is in force, The Weather Channel reports.

Related article: Northeast Winter Storm: Freezing Rain, Snow, and Ice Pummel Virginia to New York