Central Mississippi enters a deep freeze tonight

Get ready for a deep freeze starting around sundown today and into Wednesday morning.

The cold weather that began moving in last night is the front edge of an arctic front that is plunging much of the nation into record-breaking cold temperatures.

In Vicksburg, temperatures Tuesday morning are hovering near freezing, with highs today never making it out of the 30s.

Tonight, temperatures will plunge further, getting into the low 20s and bottoming out at around 22 degrees.

Make sure your pets have proper shelter and use caution if you are using space heaters. If you have to spend time outdoors, dress appropriately.

Although Mississippi will probably not see record lows, much of the country began setting records yesterday. Monday saw daily records set in several cities. It was minus-21 degrees in Turner, Montana, 13 degrees in Chicago and 16 degrees in St. Louis. Record cold highs set Monday included 8 degrees in Dickinson, North Dakota, and 18 degrees in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Today through tonight, the National Weather Service is forecasting more than 100 daily cold records will be set or tied.

Temperatures in Mississippi will return to near-normal ranges Wednesday, with Vicksburg seeing a high around 50 degrees.