You know the Southern saying: “It’s not the heat . . .
Well, in Clarksdale today, it’s not the cold it’s the wind chill.
The National Weather Service out of Memphis has issued a Wind Chill Advisory for Coahoma County and across most of Northwest Mississippi today and may extend it to Thursday.
“Extreme dangerous cold temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mid-South through the week and weekend,” the NWS said Tuesday morning. “The Wind Chill Advisory for Coahoma County is in effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17. Low temperatures will be between 0-degrees and -10-degrees with highs below freezing, in the 20s.”
And this alert is serious.
The NWS added that frostbite is possible in 30 minutes or less, hypothermia is likely with prolonged outdoor exposure and damage to exposed pipes and water main breaks are possible.
Parents are urged to monitor children playing outdoors and neighbors are urged to check on the elderly. The elderly are urged to call 911 if they need a ride to the Clarksdale Auditorium.
The community is reminded the Auditorium will serve as a warming station and not a weather shelter. That means people are welcome to come and get warm, but there are not the services normally associated with a shelter such as cots and food.
Cold weather precautions should be made for pets, too.
The community is urged to leave water faucets dripping during this cold spell. A steady drip of 10-drips a minutes wastes one gallon of water which is much less than a visit by the plumber.
Residents are urged to keep their phones charged and call Clarksdale Public Utilities immediately if they lose power.
Weather Forecast
The Sun is expected to shine Wednesday, but temperatures will remain extremely cold for this part of the Mississippi Delta.
This sunshine will melt the top of snow on sidewalks, yards and roads and then glaze over after sundown. Residents are asked to only be on the roads if there is an emergency or your job requires it.
Anyone who gets stuck should call a wrecker immediately and seek shelter away from their vehicle.
The low pressure system that brought Clarksdale snow may see another low bring a wintry mix of snow, rain and freezing rain on Thursday. The NWS said this weather is expected to move through Clarksdale Thursday afternoon.
Temperatures may climb above freezing during this storm, but are forecast to drop well below freezing again at night.
Highways are expected to be impassable at this time.
The cold will continue through Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“Dangerously cold temperatures are expected with single digit and sub-zero wind chills,” the NWS said. “Extremely cold temperatures are forecast for Saturday and Sunday morning with wind chills between 0°F and -10°F.
Sunday has a forecast high of 35. Rain could move in Monday with a forecast high of 47-degrees.
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