Lincoln County is set to be facing its coldest days in quitesome time this week, with a possibility of the wind chill factordropping down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit by Friday.

Jim Fairly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service inJackson, said winds expected to arrive with a cold front Thursdayafternoon could combine with temperatures predicted to be in theteens to push the wind chill factor to single digits. Friday willbe the coldest day of the week, with lows estimated at 10-15degrees, he said.

“If you get down to around 20 degrees with a 10 mph wind, youdrop down to 8 degrees,” Fairly said. “If we go down to lows of 10and 15 degrees, any more dropping will easily get you under zerowind chill.”

How the coming bitter cold will react with precipitation movinginto Mississippi late Wednesday remains to be seen, Fairlysaid.

Early predictions call for a mix of different wintryprecipitation, but a slight warming trend expected Tuesday andWednesday could result in plain cold rain for Lincoln County, hesaid. The possibility of sleet and snow exists, he said.

“Just a few degrees can make a big difference,” Fairly said. “Wehave to wait and see how the models are going to shake out.”

Fairly said Wednesday’s high temperatures will be in the mid40s, with lows near freezing in the lower 30s. The high will climbback into the low 40s Thursday, but will fall drastically down tothe teens and 20s that night as the brunt of the cold arrives.

Friday’s high temperature will reach only into the mid 20s,Fairly said, with lows in the teens again. Extreme cold willpersist throughout Saturday and Sunday, but temperatures areexpected to warm up around Monday, he said.

Lincoln County Civil Defense Director Clifford Galey said heplans to brief school superintendents on the weather forecastWednesday afternoon once he completes a conference call with NWS.In the meantime, he is advising all local emergency services tomake sure vehicle radiators are topped with antifreeze and gastanks are full.

“It’s very cold, and it’s going to get colder and stay thatway,” Galey said.