Mississippi
Mississippi weather: When will extreme cold warning and cold weather advisory lift?
How to keep your children safe during extreme cold
Extreme cold combined with snow and ice present new dangers for your children, especially if they walk to school. Here’s how you can help keep them safe.
Parts of Mississippi are still getting the last of a few flurries from a snow storm that’s hit the central U.S. and will continue moving toward the eastern seaboard this week.
The weather system brought an Arctic air blast from the polar vortex that will stay for a few days, and much of Mississippi will be under a cold weather advisory Wednesday and into Thursday. Forecasters at weather.com said more than 100 record lows could be set, including along the Gulf Coast.
National Weather Service data said some snow was still falling around Memphis and Greenwood as the system rolled out of the state Wednesday morning.
Some areas of the Magnolia State will be under extreme cold warnings. Wind chills as low as 10 degrees below zero could affect parts of North Mississippi, East Arkansas and West Tennessee.
Wind chills could drop temps to the teens or single digits in other parts of the state, leading the National Weather Service to issue cold weather advisories.
Here’s what we know so far.
What’s an extreme cold warning?
According the NWS, an extreme cold warning is issued “when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are expected or occurring.”
If you’re in an area under a warning, they advise you to avoid going outside. Dress in layers and make sure at least one other person knows where you are before you leave for a new location and let them know when you get there.
Will I be under an extreme cold warning?
According to the NWS, the following cold weather advisories are in effect or planned as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday:
- Oxford: 9 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday.
- Southaven: 9 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday.
What’s a cold weather advisory?
The NWS defines a cold weather advisory as notice of when “seasonably cold air temperatures or wind chill values, but not extremely cold values, are expected or occurring.”
When will cold weather advisories lift?
According to the NWS, the following cold weather advisories are in effect or planned as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday:
- Oxford: now until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
- Southaven: now until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
- Greenwood: 4:21 a.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
- Jackson: 6 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
- Hattiesburg: 6 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
- Columbus: 6 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
- Gulfport: 6 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
What’s the forecast in Mississippi this week?
Southaven
- Wednesday: High 25°F, low 10°F, extreme cold warning overnight.
- Thursday: High 24°F, low 10°F, extreme cold warning until 10 a.m.
- Friday: High 33°F, low 22°F.
- Saturday: High 42°F, low 27°F.
- Sunday: High 52°F, low 37°F.
Oxford
- Wednesday: High 31°F, low 9°F, extreme cold warning overnight.
- Thursday: High 28°F, low 9°F, extreme cold warning until 10 a.m.
- Friday: High 39°F, low 21°F.
- Saturday: High 45°F, low 26°F.
- Sunday: High 54°F, low 34°F.
Jackson
- Wednesday: High 38°F, low 19°F, cold weather advisory overnight.
- Thursday: High 36°F, low 20°F, cold weather advisory until noon.
- Friday: High 45°F, low 28°F.
- Saturday: High 51°F, low 34°F.
- Sunday: High 59°F, low 39°F, slight chance of rain in the morning.
Greenwood
- Wednesday: High 33°F, low 16°F, cold weather advisory in effect all day.
- Thursday: High 30°F, low 17°F, cold weather advisory in effect until noon.
- Friday: High 40°F, low 25°F.
- Saturday: High 46°F, low 30°F.
- Sunday: High 56°F, low 38°F.
Columbus/West Point/Starkville
- Wednesday: High 40°F, low 18°F, cold weather advisory overnight.
- Thursday: High 34°F, low 17°F.
- Friday: High 44°F, low 24°F.
- Saturday: High 51°F, low 28°F.
- Sunday: High 56°F, low 33°F.
Hattiesburg
- Wednesday: High 47°F, low 24°F, cold weather advisory overnight.
- Thursday: High 43°F, low 23°F, cold weather advisory until noon.
- Friday: High 49°F, low 31°F.
- Saturday: High 56°F, low 36°F, slight chance of rain overnight.
- Sunday: High 59°F, low 38°F, slight chance of rain in the morning.
Gulfport
- Wednesday: High 56°F, low 28°F, cold weather advisory overnight.
- Thursday: High 47°F, low 28°F, cold weather advisory until noon.
- Friday: High 51°F, low 38°F.
- Saturday: High 58°F, low 42°F, slight chance of overnight showers.
- Sunday: High 60°F, low 44°F, chance of showers before noon.
See the Mississippi weather radar
Why does it keep getting so cold?
According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which manages the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research, polar air comes south sometimes where the polar jet stream wanders.
As they describe it, the polar vortex circles the north pole counterclockwise. the polar jet stream circles at a lower level of the atmosphere, which usually keeps Arctic air corralled in the middle.
When the polar vortex is weak, the jet stream pattern wanders around a bit instead of staying in place “like a toupee that goes askew.”
The scientists that make up UCAR say predicting the pattern is getting harder because the Arctic is warming at a rapid rate.
See photos from the last major snow storm in Mississippi
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
KEY WEST, Fla. (WLBT) – A Mississippi woman is dead after a snorkeling accident Tuesday, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in the Florida Keys.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. May 26, 63-year-old Lecia Elizabeth Spriggs of Madison, Mississippi, was snorkeling near Mule Key off Key West with a commercial company when she was found unresponsive in the water.
CPR began immediately and the U.S. Coast Guard brought Spriggs ashore, officials said.
Spriggs was taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island, where she was pronounced deceased.
Officials said autopsy results are pending but foul play is not suspected to be a factor in this incident.
No further information has been released at this time.
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Jim Stewart Allen, also known as Broccoli Guy, is still trying to wrap his head around the last two weeks.
What started as a short trip from his home state of Washington to support Oregon in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA softball Tournament has turned into a trip to the Women’s College World Series as Mississippi State softball’s unofficial mascot.
“I’ve dreamed about going to a softball World Series,” Allen told the Clarion Ledger. “I didn’t know when it was going to happen. And so, to be able to finally go is one thing, but to be able to go with such a meaningful connection with one of the teams, with Mississippi State, it just means the world to me.”
Allen plans to be in Oklahoma City for every step of the Bulldogs’ WCWS journey, beginning with their opening game against No. 11 seed Texas Tech (57-7) on May 28 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) at Devon Park. It will be the first WCWS game in MSU (43-19) program history.
Broccoli Guy surprised Mississippi State at super regionals
Allen has brought broccoli to games for nearly every Seattle professional sports team. It’s about more than just being a fun way to support the teams. It’s also about maintaining a fun environment and encouraging unity.
After watching Mississippi State use broccoli as a rally prop in its regional final win, Allen knew he had to travel to Oklahoma for super regionals. He surprised the Bulldogs in Norman and saw them hand Oklahoma its first super regional loss since 2015.
“It was very exciting,” Allen said of watching Game 1, which Mississippi State won 11-9. “It was just very clear during that whole game that Mississippi State came to play. They had the energy and they had the hunger.”
All weekend, Allen got to see firsthand how much his presence was appreciated by supporting and opposing fans alike.
“The environment was incredible,” Allen said. “I was nervous about how I would be received by Oklahoma fans. … I didn’t really know what to expect, but I got so much love from Oklahoma fans.”
Anytime they needed a boost, the Bulldogs held broccoli in the dugout for good luck. After losing Game 2, MSU leaned on broccoli to power past the Sooners in Game 3, posting pregame pictures and videos highlighting the vegetable.
Allen didn’t need to see the overflow of broccoli content to know that MSU had what it took.
“I woke up that morning on Sunday thinking, ‘I’m going to have to stay here probably because they’re going to win this game,’” Allen said. “… And then I saw pictures on Instagram of … someone holding a bag of broccoli on the bus and I went, ‘Yeah, I’m staying in Oklahoma.’”
What Mississippi State softball means to Broccoli Guy
As the Bulldogs secured the final out in Game 3, the ESPN broadcast showed Allen in the stands with tears in his eyes.
He joked that this was a result of the exhaustion of dancing in the hot sun and his tired acceptance of a trip to the WCWS. In reality, it was an outpouring of joy for the team he’d come to love.
“That’s just been two weeks of following this team at a pretty intense level, game by game, seeing them work” Allen said. “… I think right after that, the team ran over to me, and we had our own moment, which is so, so humbling.”
For as much as Allen enjoys watching the Bulldogs play, the players enjoy having him in the stands. Infielder Nadia Barbary said seeing him dancing during the games helps them remember to have fun and stay loose in tough moments.
This relaxed style of play is what helped them get past Oklahoma. The Bulldogs even thanked Allen for his contributions by letting him hold their super regional trophy.
“It’s just been great,” pitcher Alyssa Faircloth said. “He’s such a sweet guy, so just the fact that we can bring him along and celebrate him with our broccoli in our dugout and just make him feel a little bit special has been great.”
The wider MSU community has also embraced Allen. Leila Ammon’s dad, Charles, started a GoFundMe to help cover Allen’s WCWS travel expenses. It had received $4,165 in donations as of May 26.
Unsurprisingly, Allen believes the Bulldogs have a good shot to win the title, noting it would be a fantastic finish to his and their journey.
“For them to even get this far is just incredible,” Allen said. “… Mississippi State is representing what it means to be a hungry, energetic softball underdog and they’re doing it so well. … Anything they do, I’m going to be super proud of, and I’m not surprised if they win it all.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
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