As concerns about the cold weather in the area remain, emergency officials advised area citizens to stay inside as much as possible, and monitor weather conditions.

Ice accumulated on some north Mississippi roads today. National Weather Service Meteorologist Joanne Culin warned that temperatures could be in the teens Friday night, so there’s still a chance of patches of ice on roads in much of Mississippi.

A hard freeze warning was issued from Thursday night through Sunday.

Culin says windchills could dip below zero in the next few days in north Mississippi and actual high temperatures aren’t expected to rise above freezing through at least Sunday.

“No matter if you are staying in or you need to go somewhere, monitor the weather closely. If you do have to go out, be very careful,” said Lowndes Columbus Emergency Management Agency Director Cindy Lawrence.

On Wednesday, Lawrence met with local government and emergency officials to discuss preparation plans should bad weather arrive.

With weather forecasts calling for continuous bitter cold temperatures and possible freezing rain, sleet and snow due to the arctic blast, local government and emergency officials gathered at the E-911 center Wednesday for a meeting with the Columbus-Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency.

Personnel with the Lowndes County chapter of the American Red Cross and Prairie Opportunity were also present at the meeting as officials made plans to prepare for the possibility of bad weather.

“We just want to make sure everyone is prepared and has a plan should weather conditions turn bad,” Lawrence said.

WCBI-TV weathercaster Jason Dunning met with Lawrence and the officials. He said the weather conditions in Columbus and Lowndes County, as well as North Mississippi and West Alabama could get interesting as arctic air and moisture comes.

He said there is the possibility of 1-2 inches of freezing rain, sleet or snow, expected to start sometime in the early morning hours today.

“The biggest problem will mainly be on bridges and overpasses. That could be a major problem depending on how much precipitation we get,” Dunning said.

Officials with Mississippi Department of Transportation were out in force Wednesday evening putting down sand and salt on the streets.

Becky Thomas, director of the Lowndes County chapter of the American Red Cross, said if conditions caused major power outages, a shelter would open at Wesley United Methodist Church.

During a meeting with officers and staff at the Columbus Police Department, Chief Joseph St. John urged the personnel to make sure their patrol cars have plenty of gas.

“We are the police, and we are on call 24-7,” he said.

Lawrence said she has not received any reports from emergency personnel concerning weather problems.

With the bitter cold and possible freezing precipitation today, 4-County Electric Power Association has begun emergency preparations to deal with any possible weather damage to lines or equipment or service interruption to members.

4-County Director of Operations Cliff Wall said the cooperative is on alert.

“We have crews and vehicles on standby ready to respond and we are watching the weather,” Wall said. “If anything happens we will work as quickly as we can and as safely as possible to repair any damage and restore any outages.”

Joe Miller, 4-County’s safety coordinator, said there are many safety factors to be aware of.

“If we do have an ice event and lines are down, everyone should be very careful,” he said. “If you see a downed power line, stay away from it and call it in.”

Miller also warns that even if the power doesn’t go out, the extreme cold can be dangerous.

“People will be trying to keep their homes warm. But they should remember to be safe,” he said.

Miller also encourages everyone to dress as warmly as possible, using layers of loose-fitting clothing. And he says to make sure pets have a warm place to stay and to check on elderly and infirm family or neighbors.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Report an outage

• 4-county: 1-800-431-1544

• Columbus Light and Water: 662-243-7440

Find a Shelter

• Lowndes County Red Cross: 662-328-5710

• Oktibbeha County Red Cross: 662-323-4621

BE WARM, BE SAFE

4-County has these tips:

• Don’t use an oven or stove for heat.

• Make sure that space heaters are away from clothing or curtains or other flammable items.

• Make sure your fireplace or gas- or fuel-powered heaters or generators are properly ventilated.

• Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

• Have an emergency kit with flashlight, matches and candles, drinking water and a portable battery-powered radio.

• If you have a cell phone, make sure it is fully charged.