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NATCHEZ — Miss-Lou residents can expect bitterly cold temperatures to persist through Christmas Day. However, sunny skies and calm winds may make the situation easier to handle and lessen the chances of power outages.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said his department has received few weather-related calls as of late Friday afternoon.

“We haven’t even gotten calls about trees being down. Truth be told, I think because we didn’t get a lot of rain or sleet, we were blessed. We kind of dodged a bullet,” Patten said.

Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said seven people made use of the warming shelter at the Adams County Safe Room overnight Thursday into Friday morning.

“Two people went home this morning, and we have five people there now,” Bradford said.

Because temperatures will stay well below freezing and at dangerous levels through the weekend, the warming shelter will remain open through the day on Monday.

“We expect to have two more days like this,” Bradford said.

About 95 residents who get their electricity from Southwest Mississippi Electric Power Association were without power early Friday morning, but he said that was quickly restored.

“People should be cognizant of the cold weather. If you know anyone who doesn’t have heating, please check on them and make sure they are safe,” Bradford urged.

Anyone needing shelter from the cold can find it at the Adams County Safe Room, which is located by Natchez High School off Seargent S. Prentiss Drive at 323 Liberty Road.

You can call the Emergency Management office at 601-442-7021 for more information about the Safe Room or call 911 if you are experiencing an emergency.

The National Weather Service in Jackson has Adams County under a hard freeze warning until 10 a.m. Sunday. A wind chill advisory for the area ends on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The expected low temperature for tonight is 13 degrees. With the wind chill, the low tonight will feel like 0. Winds are predicted to be 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.

On Christmas Eve, the forecast for Natchez calls for sunny skies with a high near 33. Saturday night, we can expect widespread frost between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Sunday. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low of around 20 on Saturday night. Winds will be 5 to 10 miles per hour overnight Saturday.

On Christmas Day, Natchez should have sunny skies and a high of 39. Sunday night’s forecast calls for another more widespread frost after 9 p.m. and mostly clear skies with a low of 22.

On Monday, temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 48.