Mississippi

Parts of Mississippi could see snow, be under freeze warning this week. See where, when

Published

1 year ago

January 8, 2025

Parts of Mississippi could see snow, be under freeze warning this week. See where, when

A winter storm system is set to sweep across the southern U.S. this week and is expected to bring snow and some ice and wintry mix to states along the Gulf coast.

The storm is set to start in Texas on Wednesday night and move toward the eastern seaboard. Parts of the South will get 4 to 8 inches of snow. The National Weather Service expects several inches of snow in the Dallas area, and the weather system will move northeast through the weekend. Nashville and Atlanta also could see hazardous conditions.

The southeast has already been feeling the effects of Arctic air that moved in a few days ago, and the storm is expected to delay travel including affecting road conditions in areas not accustomed to heavy snow and potentially affecting airports.

Parts of Mississippi could see freezing temperatures and some snow, though previous forecasts calling for wintery weather in most of the state have been updated. The latest forecasts look like central and north Mississippi will have the strongest chances for snow, sleet and freezing temperatures.

What will the winter storm bring to Mississippi?

The AccuWeather and National Weather Service forecasts for the Jackson region through Friday have some slight differences. The biggest one is that while AccuWeather calls for a 25% chance of precipitation Thursday and a 99% chance with cold rain on Friday, the NWS says rain and sleet are likely Thursday night with a strong chance of showers on Friday.

Northern areas of the Magnolia State are under a winter storm watch Thursday and Friday. The NWS is predicting rain and snow chances in Greenwood, Oxford and Columbus/West Point/Starkville starting after midnight Thursday night and through Friday evening.

The Hattiesburg forecast now calls for showers Thursday night through Friday night. The overnight low Thursday is 35 degrees. Friday weather has a high of 46 and a low of 31.

The NWS New Orleans office issued a freeze warning Wednesday night for Gulfport. That area is set to get rain Thursday and Friday, but temperatures are expected to stay above freezing.

How should I prepare for extreme cold, winter weather?

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency encourages residents to be ready for winter weather. Extreme cold, snow and ice can lead to power outages and make travel conditions dangerous.

Have non-perishable food and bottled water on hand. (If you have electric appliances, plan meals that can be eaten without using the stove or oven.) Make sure you have enough winter clothing and blankets to stay warm if power goes out. Keep your cellphone charged and have flashlights ready.

Keep an emergency supply kit in vehicles. Be prepared if you have to drive in icy road conditions. (If you hit black ice while driving, take your foot off the pedals and steer into the skid.)

Bring pets inside and make sure animals that can’t be brought in have access to lots of food and water that isn’t frozen.

Check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbors.

7-day Jackson weather forecast

According to AccuWeather, as of Jan. 8, the Jackson area can expect the following for the next week:

Jan. 8: High 43°F, low 24°F.
Jan. 9: High 43°F, low 35°F.
Jan. 10: High 39°F, low 30°F, 99% chance of precipitation with cold rain.
Jan. 11: High 44°F, low 26°F.
Jan. 12: High 55°F, low 32°F.
Jan. 13: High 52°F, low 29°F.
Jan. 14: High 50°F, low 31°F.
Jan. 15: High 52°F, low 28°F.

In the National Weather Service forecast, Mississippi is expected to have below-average temperatures and precipitation Jan. 13-17. From Jan. 15-21, temperatures are expected to stay below average while rain changes will be about average.

Mississippi weather radar

January average temperatures in Mississippi

These are the average temperatures for the Jackson, Hattiesburg, Tupelo and Gulfport areas for 2020-24, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Jackson

2020: 50.9°F.
2021: 48°F.
2022: 45.4°F.
2023: 53.8°F.
2024: 44.5°F.

Hattiesburg

2020: 52.6°F.
2021: 49.7°F.
2022: 47.5°F.
2023: 55.8°F.
2024: 48.2°F.

Tupelo

2020: 48.6°F.
2021: 45.1°F.
2022: 42°F.
2023: 50.6°F.
2024: 39.5°F.

Gulfport

2020: 55.3°F.
2021: 51.7°F.
2022: 49.4°F.
2023: 58.2°F.
2024: 51.2°F.

What are the next winter storm names for 2025?

The Weather Channel names winter storms based on scale. So far the 2024-25 season already has seen Anya and Blair. They do not name “pure arctic cold outbreaks.”

Other planned names are:

Cora.
Demi.
Enzo.
Freya.
Garnett.
Harlow.
Iliana.
Jett.
Kingston.
Lola.
Marisol.
Nyla.
Omari.
Pascale.
Quentin.
Roman.
Spencer.
Theo.
Usman.
Vincenzo.
Wilhelm.
Xia.
Ygenny.
Zahir.

Contributing: Christopher Cann and Doyle Rice

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

Published

22 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

OXFORD — Tomas Valincius struck out top Ole Miss baseball batter Tristan Bissetta looking on his last pitch of the game.

There was no emotion from the Mississippi State starting pitcher as he walked back to the dugout after Bissetta was the fourth straight Ole Miss batter to strike out.

It was another instance of Valincius, the left-handed Virginia transfer, showing a trait that’s made him such a dominant pitcher for the No. 4 Bulldogs. The longer Valincius pitches, the better he gets.

The sophomore pitched another five shutout innings as MSU (23-4, 5-2 SEC) took down No. 18 Ole Miss, 6-1, at Swayze Field on March 28 to win the series.

“It’s all mental,” Valincius said. “Just going out there and just kind of trusting yourself and all the work you put in throughout the week. And even when you don’t have your stuff, it’s still a war between every battle in every inning. It’s kind of like finding a way to do what you can do with what you got.”

The win clinched the Bulldogs’ ninth series against the Rebels (19-9, 3-5) in the last 10 meetings. Another win March 29 (3 p.m., SEC Network) would make Brian O’Connor the third straight first-year MSU coach to sweep Ole Miss.

Valincius (6-0) hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 SEC innings and his season ERA dropped to 0.91.

Against the Rebels, one game after striking out a career-high 14 batters against Vanderbilt, Valincius recorded nine strikeouts with three hits, two walks and one hit by pitch in 90 pitches.

“He buckled down when runners were in scoring position,” O’Connor said. “He’s always best in his middle innings. You see him just rise his game up.”

Why Tomas Valincius could’ve done even better against Ole Miss

While the Ole Miss game was Valincius’ third SEC start without allowing an earned run, it was his shortest outing of the three. The other two against Arkansas and Vanderbilt both lasted seven innings.

Valincius stranded six Ole Miss batters on base in his five innings.

“Early on, I didn’t really feel like I had anything going,” Valincius said. “I was kind of just finding a way to win. That was kind of my whole approach throughout the whole game. I couldn’t really figure out the slider and fastball command. It wasn’t working a lot. I just found a way to win.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Mississippi

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — Multiple people were killed in a crash between a train and a van on Friday afternoon in Mississippi.

Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart said the crash happened around 1 p.m. on Pump Branch Road. First responders had to cut through the woods to get to the wreckage.

There were six people in the van at the time of the crash, Stewart said. Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry confirmed five of them died in the crash.

Multiple people are dead after a crash between a train and a van in Mississippi. (WLOX)

The sixth person was airlifted to New Orleans.

The five victims were identified as 26-year-old Ryan C. Peterson, who was a corrections officer with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, 23-year-old Demarcus Perkins, 45-year-old Kristina Carver, and Carver’s two daughters, 22-year-old Emley Chamblee and 20-year-old Sarabeth Chamblee.

Nearby resident Pam Olson has been sounding the alarm on the Pump Branch Road railroad crossing for some time. She was tending to her garden with her husband when the sound of screeching brakes made them jolt.

“We heard it,” explained Olson. “My husband and I were in the yard working on our flowerbeds. I told my husband a train hit another vehicle. My husband ran up there and said, ‘Pam, it’s bad.’”

A recent report from the Stone County Enterprise outlines another wreck in the same spot, which resulted in the driver of a pickup truck being airlifted. Stewart also pointed out a fatal train accident in Stone County happened at the location in 2023, claiming the life of a Wiggins woman.

“This’d be the second incident in the last four to five weeks involving fatalities and the third incident in the last year, all involving fatalities,” explained Stewart. “To date, we’ve lost seven folks within the last year.”

The crossing does not have crossing arms or lights. Stone County District 1 Supervisor Jimmy Springs said he previously reached out to Mississippi Department of Transportation railroad engineers and was told crossing arms are on the way for two crossings, including the one at Pump Branch Road. However, it could take a year for them to be installed.

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CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Published

2 days ago

March 27, 2026

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CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The CLASH Endurance triathlon officially started along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.

“I placed first, so I’m pretty stoked about that,” Reilly said.

Winning a triathlon means beating competitors from across the country and around the world in swimming, biking and running.

“Definitely a lot of hours goes into the sport, but the actual race was tough. It was like full gas, swim, bike, and run, so over an hour. And I’m excited to be able to be done and take home the win,” Reilly said.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.(WLOX)

Athletes praise Gulf Coast hospitality

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.

“I have had such a great time down here in the south. It’s, like, the nicest people I’ve ever met. The culture is amazing. The music’s great. The food’s great. Honestly, nothing but positive for me. It’s awesome,” said Annette Zavala of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

“I really like this course. It was really cool to see them swim in the marina. The course was very accessible to view, which I really appreciated,” said Sophia Najera of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the... — It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.(WLOX)

More than 28 countries and all 50 states are represented, bringing a boost to the coastal economy.

“All of the athletes who are visiting coastal Mississippi, they’re staying in the hotels, they’re visiting the restaurants, they’re shopping, and they’re not just staying for a night or two. Some of them are staying and playing,” said Blair Lahaye, CLASH Endurance vice president of communications.

Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish line.

“You might have the worst mindset out there, but just hearing someone believe in you, like, that’s sometimes all you need to move forward,” Zavala said.

“I could not have gone through half the races I did, half the trainings I did, without the support of my teammates. We’re really excited to come race tomorrow, and we were super glad to get to be able to cheer on our teammates today,” Najera said.