Tippah County Hard Freeze Expected Saturday Morning
A Tippah County hard freeze is expected early Saturday, Nov. 14. A strong cold front will end this week’s mild stretch late on Veterans Day. Forecasts from the National Weather Service in Memphis show Ripley near 72 degrees on Wednesday and down to about 28 degrees by sunrise Saturday, a drop of more than 40 degrees in under three days.
Forecasters say the coldest air of the season so far will settle over north Mississippi and west Tennessee once the front passes. In its Tuesday morning forecast discussion, the Memphis office said “a hard freeze is expected over West Tennessee and northern Mississippi Saturday morning.”
Warm, Sunny Veterans Day Before the Cold Front
Wednesday should be a pleasant day for outdoor events. The forecast for Ripley calls for sunshine and a high near 72, with a southwest wind up to 15 mph. That is good news for the community Veterans Day program at the Ripley Sportsplex, which starts at 11 a.m.
The cold front is expected to move through late Wednesday afternoon and early evening. Forecasters said a few strong to severe thunderstorms could form Wednesday afternoon and evening, but mainly north and east of the Memphis area. The Storm Prediction Center’s marginal (level 1 of 5) risk for Wednesday covers parts of the lower Ohio and western Tennessee valleys, centered on western Kentucky and northern Tennessee. The NWS puts the local chance of rain at only about 10 percent, so most of Tippah and Benton counties may see the front pass dry, apart from a wind shift and falling temperatures.
Tippah County Hard Freeze: Forecast Lows
After the front passes, northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph will bring in much cooler air on Thursday. The NWS point forecasts show:
- Thursday: Sunny, highs near 60 to 61; lows Thursday night in the mid to upper 30s.
- Friday: Sunny and chilly, highs only around 51 to 52.
- Friday night into Saturday: Clear and calm, with lows near 28 in Ripley, 27 in Ashland and 26 in Middleton, Tenn.
- Saturday: Sunny, highs in the lower 50s.
The weather service usually calls temperatures of 28 degrees or colder a hard freeze, because that is cold enough to kill most tender plants. The Memphis office said eastern parts of its area, which include Tippah County, have a 20 to 50 percent chance of dropping below 28 degrees. Sunrise in Ripley on Saturday is at 6:29 a.m., according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, and the coldest readings usually come right around then.
The cold should not last long. Forecasters expect an upper-level ridge to build in from the west after the weekend and begin a warming trend.
How to Prepare Before Friday Night
This will be colder than the frost that hit the area last weekend. Thursday and Friday are good days to get ready:
- Bring potted plants inside, and harvest or cover any remaining garden vegetables.
- Give outdoor pets and livestock shelter, bedding and water that will not freeze.
- Disconnect garden hoses and protect outdoor faucets and any exposed pipes.
- Use space heaters safely, keep them away from anything that can burn, and never use a grill or generator indoors.
- Allow extra time Saturday morning to clear frosted windshields.
Forecasts can change as the week goes on. Residents can check the latest from the National Weather Service in Memphis at weather.gov/meg.
Source: National Weather Service Memphis
