NATCHEZ — The Miss-Lou will see some of the coldest temperatures yet this season tonight and Thursday morning.

An arctic airmass is expected to drop into the region today and bring temperatures down to a low of 15 by tonight, National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Carpenter said.

The airmass, Carpenter said, originates from the arctic region and brings with it very cold, dry air.

That air can get here quickly from the arctic, but it might not last a long time.

“It’s kind of like when you throw an ice cube into the hot sun,” Carpenter said. “It’s still going to be cold for a while, but it won’t take long for it to melt. (It’s the) same thing here.

“When that arctic air surges down here, it’s going to be very cold initially, but it’s going to warm up.”

The drop in temperatures resulted in the NWS issuing a hard freeze watch for Adams County and Concordia Parish.

A hard freeze watch means subfreezing temperatures are possible for a long duration of time.

The conditions could cause exposed water pipes to burst and lead to hypothermia and frostbite of individuals.

Carpenter said the temperatures are cold for this time of the year, but not near record-breaking levels.

“You have to get pretty cold to break records for this time of year,” he said. “It’s definitely below normal, but it’s not quite record breaking.”

The record for low temperatures in Natchez this time of year was set in 1942 when temperatures dropped down to 10.

Temperatures are expected to climb slightly Thursday into the mid 30s. Cloudy skies throughout Thursday and Friday are expected to continue those temperatures into the weekend, with a slight chance of sleet Friday.