Warren County residents will get their first taste of winter this weekend as a high pressure area moves in from the northwest with low temperatures in the 20s and 30s and high winds.

Meteorologist David Cox with the National Weather Service Office in Jackson said residents here can expect highs today in the mid-60s dropping into the mid-30s tonight. Sunday highs, he said, are not expected to get out of the upper 40s, with the low Sunday in the upper to mid-20s.

“We can expect winds Saturday about 15 to 20 mph, with gusts 20 to 25 mph,” he said. “The winds will subside to about 10 to 15 mph with gusts 15 to 20. The winds will make it feel colder than it actually is Saturday night. Although the temperature Saturday will be in the 30s, it will feel like it is in the 20s.”

Cox said the high will be preceded by a weak low pressure system that will carry a chance for rain.

“There will be a 20 percent chance for rain early Saturday, but we expect it to be isolated showers,” he said. “It should be out of the area by Saturday afternoon.”

He said the cold temperatures will continue through Tuesday with lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s, warming up to the 60s during the day with lows in the 40s.

Officials with Vicksburg’s two homeless shelters said they will be able to take in homeless seeking shelter from cold.

“We have extra cots and mattresses for people looking to get in out of the cold,” said Justin Nichols, assistant director at River City Rescue Mission, which accepts men only.

Tina Hayward, executive director of Mountain of Faith Ministries, which runs Women’s Restoration Shelter and Faith House shelters, said the shelter will accept homeless women and women with children seeking shelter, adding families with a man will be put in a hotel for the night.

“People with plants should cover them to protect them from the cold or pot them and put them in the garage; that’s the best thing do,” said Mississippi State University Extension agent Anna Horton McCain. “Mississippi has several tropical plants that for some reason seem to thrive here. In some spots, we have micro climates where a plant is planted next to an air conditioning unit or a drier vent, where it’s a bit warmer.”

“The best thing for pets is to bring them inside, but we have some people with outdoor pets, so the best thing for them is an outdoor shelter,” said Vicksburg-Warren Humane Society director Georgia Lynn.

She said outdoor pet shelters should be positioned to protect the animal from the north and west winds.

“If they are going to put anything in the shelter, they should not put in a blanket or sheet, which can freeze,” she said.