The DeSoto County Veterans Day forecast calls for one more warm day before a strong cold front sweeps through Wednesday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service in Memphis. Highs should reach the low to mid 70s on Wednesday, Nov. 11, before much colder air arrives in time for Friday night’s high school football playoff games and a likely hard freeze Saturday morning.
DeSoto County Veterans Day forecast: mild and breezy
Tuesday starts a warming trend. The NWS point forecast for the Hernando area calls for a high near 70 today and a low around 51 tonight under partly cloudy skies.
Veterans Day itself looks like the warmest day of the week. The forecast for Hernando calls for sunshine, a high near 74 and a southwest wind of 5 to 15 mph. That should be good news for anyone attending outdoor ceremonies or the luncheons planned around the county.
The cold front is expected to cross the Mid-South Wednesday afternoon and early evening. The NWS area graphic shows about a 15 to 25 percent chance of a passing shower or thunderstorm in north Mississippi and the Memphis area during that window, with rainfall totals generally under a quarter inch.
Severe storms mainly north and east of Memphis
The Storm Prediction Center has a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5) for isolated severe storms Wednesday afternoon and early evening, but it is centered on West and Middle Tennessee, north and east of Memphis. DeSoto County sits in the general thunderstorm area outside that risk zone.
In its Tuesday morning forecast discussion, the NWS said strong wind shear is the main ingredient, while moisture and instability look limited. Forecasters said damaging wind is the main concern with any storm that does turn severe, with large hail a secondary threat. A Wind Advisory is not expected despite the tightening pressure gradient.
Much colder for Friday’s playoff games
Temperatures drop quickly behind the front. The Hernando-area forecast calls for:
Wednesday night: Mostly clear, low around 50, northwest wind near 10 mph
Thursday: Sunny, high near 61, falling into the upper 50s in the afternoon
Thursday night: Clear, low around 40
Friday: Sunny, high near 52, falling into the upper 40s in the afternoon
Friday night: Mostly clear, low around 31
Saturday: Sunny, high near 53
That puts Friday night’s first-round MHSAA playoff games, all set for 7 p.m., in temperatures falling through the 40s and toward freezing by late night. Fans heading to Lake Cormorant, Center Hill, DeSoto Central, Madison Central or Oxford should plan on heavy coats and blankets.
First hard freeze likely Saturday morning
The NWS says the first hard freeze of the season is likely over much of the region Saturday morning, with lows from the mid 20s to the lower 30s. Eastern parts of the forecast area have a 20 to 50 percent chance of dropping below 28 degrees. The cold should not last long, since an upper-level ridge building from the west will bring warmer weather back early next week.
Before Friday night, residents should:
Bring in or cover tender plants and potted flowers
Bring pets indoors or make sure they have warm, dry shelter
Disconnect garden hoses and protect exposed outdoor pipes
Use space heaters safely, keeping them at least three feet from anything that can burn
