Cold front sparks weather alert for 9 Southern states

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have issued freeze warnings or freeze watches across nine Southern states amid a cold front that could drop temperatures below freezing overnight on Thursday.

Freeze warnings were issued across Central Texas, in southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana and through central Mississippi. Freeze watches extended through eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, the Florida panhandle, parts of southwestern and eastern Georgia and through South Carolina and southern North Carolina.

For the freeze warning, the coldest temperatures were expected in the Jackson, Mississippi, forecast region with sub-freezing temperatures as low as 25 expected in "portions of southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, and central, east central, north central, northeast, northwest, and west central Mississippi."

The warning goes into effect at 10 p.m. local time Friday night and will end at 8 a.m. local time Saturday morning.

"Frost and freeze conditions could kill sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing," the warning said.

Typical low temperatures for the Jackson forecast region for this time of year are around 37 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit, NWS lead meteorologist David Cox told Newsweek.

In Texas, the freeze warning will go into place at midnight Thursday night and expire on Friday morning.

"Bring pets indoors, or ensure that they have warm, dry shelter," the warning said, which warned of temperatures as low as 28 degrees in southwest and western Texas.

The freeze watches will go into effect Friday night.

"The cold front has pushed through and a period of cold temperatures will last through the weekend," the NWS office in Mobile, Alabama posted. "While temps will cool off tonight, the real cold begins tomorrow night as temperatures drop into the upper 20s to low 30s with mid 30s along the immediate coast."

The cold front and dip in temperatures for the Southern U.S. comes as an arctic blast plunges temperatures for the northern Plains states this weekend, which will feel even colder amid frigid wind chill.

In some parts of North Dakota, wind chill temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero are expected, with low temperatures forecast to be around 10 degrees below zero, a far cry from the region's typical low temperatures for this time of year, which are usually in the teens.

Temperatures have already started to dip, with the coldest levels expected this weekend.

The Bismarck, North Dakota, NWS office has already issued a cold weather statement warning of frigid wind chills in the early morning hours of Friday.

"The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes," the warning said. "Use caution while outdoors. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves."