With Christmas two weeks from Monday, spirits may be rising, but the weather is getting worse.

The Jackson office of the National Weather Service advised Vicksburg and other central Mississippi residents to brace for severe weather, including freezing rain and sleet of the variety that plays havoc here with street surfaces and power lines.

Lynn Burse, a forecaster at the Jackson office, said a warm front that will move into northwest Mississippi Monday afternoon and evening will lead cooler weather into Mississippi for Tuesday.

“The air mass behind the front will be very cold,” she said.

Temperatures Monday night will probably be near 50 degrees, with an increasing chance of rain Monday night and Tuesday.

The likelihood of rain will continue into Tuesday, increasing to 50 to 60 percent Tuesday night. The temperatures during the day Tuesday will be cool to cold and drop into the 20s or 30s Tuesday night, Burse said.

With the temperatures dropping to near or below freezing, Burse said, the chance will increase for the area to expect freezing rain or sleet Tuesday night going into Wednesday.

“If the temperature bottoms out at 32, it probably won’t be freezing rain, but if it drops into the 20s, it probably will,” she said.

The severe front follows a weekend of clear skies on Saturday and Sunday with temperatures in the 60s.

The change will be sudden.

Pet owners should either take in their pets Tuesday night or provide adequate shelter for them out of the cold and wet. Potted plants that are normally kept outside should be taken in Tuesday night, and tender outdoor plants should be protected.

If roads ice, travel should be only for emergencies.