Early March typically marks the unofficial start of spring but the first few days so far have felt and looked more like winter with the coldest temperatures of the season and even light snow falling across parts of the state.
The National Weather Service reported early Sunday that temperatures statewide fell below freezing Saturday night with much of Mississippi experiencing their coldest weather of the winter season.
Freezing temperatures ranged from as low as 18 degrees across northern Mississippi to as low as 28 degrees along the gulf coast.
Jackson tied its coldest temperature of the winter season of 22 degrees early Sunday, previously reached back on Dec. 30.
Gulfport also tied its coldest temperature so far this season at 28 degrees, while Hattiesburg fell to its coldest temperature in just over a year at 25 degrees. The last time it was this cold in Hattiesburg was back on Jan. 14, 2012, when the temperature fell to 23 degrees.
Other select early Sunday freezing low temps:
- Oxford 18º
- Hickory Flat 18º
- Grenada 18º
- Hernando 19º
- Winona 19º
- Houston 20º
- Richland 20º
- Greenwood 20º
- Independence 20º
- Greenville 21º
- Olive Branch 21º
- Ashland 21º
- Batesville 21º
- Rolling Fork 22º
- Vicksburg 22º
- Cleveland 23º
- Natchez 23º
- McComb 23º
- Collins 23º
- Meridian 25º
- Tupelo 27º
- Pascagoula 28º
- Biloxi 30º
The unusually cold overnight temperatures followed a cold day on Saturday that saw temperatures only rise into the 30s and 40s on average statewide with wind chills near to around freezing.
To add to the wintry day, an upper level atmospheric disturbance caused occasional light snow or snow flurries to fall across much of the state.
Jackson, Tupelo, Meridian, Columbus and Greenwood are just several cities that reported at least a trace of snowfall on Saturday. The trace of snowfall recorded at the Jackson-Evers International Airport tied a daily record, previously set back on March 2, 1980.
A deep trough allowed a very cold airmass to dive straight from Canada across the region.
This trough was shifting off to the east Sunday morning and will give way to much warmer temperatures on Monday with highs quickly returning to the mid and upper 60s to around 70 degrees with lows in the 50s.
Normal high temperatures this time of year across the state are typically in the 60s with lows in the 40s.
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