A Freeze Watch is in effect for 120 counties in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi as temperatures could fall to 27 degrees.
The watch runs from late Friday night through Saturday morning. NWS Huntsville says it could bring the first freeze of the season to northern Alabama.
Counties under the watch
In Alabama (58): central Alabama from NWS Birmingham (39 counties), southwest Alabama from NWS Mobile (8 counties) and northern Alabama from NWS Huntsville (11 counties).
In Mississippi (32): 31 counties in central Mississippi from NWS Jackson, from Bolivar and Sunflower to Hinds, Rankin and Lauderdale, plus Wayne County from NWS Mobile.
In Georgia (30): north and west Georgia counties from NWS Peachtree City, including Dade, Walker, Cherokee, Forsyth, Cobb, Douglas, Carroll, Coweta, Troup and Harris.
Cities include Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, Jackson, Meridian, Marietta, Rome and Newnan.
How cold it gets
Lows could drop to 27 to 32 in northern Alabama, 28 to 32 in central Alabama and 29 to 32 in central Mississippi and southwest Alabama. Georgia lows could reach 29.
Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Colder weekend ahead
NWS Birmingham says a pair of cold fronts will bring colder air through the weekend. Patchy frost is possible Friday morning, with a widespread frost or freeze more likely Saturday and Sunday mornings.
NWS Huntsville says hard freezes, with lows in the mid to upper 20s, are likely Saturday and Sunday mornings.
How to protect plants and pipes
Bring in or cover cold-sensitive plants and bring pets inside. Wrap, drain or let outdoor pipes drip slowly.
Drain in-ground sprinkler systems and cover above-ground pipes. Get updates at weather.gov/bmx and weather.gov/hun.
