Crossroads area residents should prepare themselves for extreme winter weather with snow and extremely low temperatures expected to hit by mid-week.

The National Weather Service in Memphis, Tenn., has issued a special weather statement stating that the area should see accumulating snow Wednesday night and Thursday to be followed by extremely cold air for the later part of the week.

The harsh winter weather is being caused by a strong arctic cold front that is expected to push through the Mid-South Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. While snow amounts remain uncertain, plans should be made for the possibility of at least a couple of inches with roads becoming hazardous.

Following the snow, an “arctic outbreak” is expected to follow with bitterly cold air, “perhaps the coldest since at least 2003,” according to the Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to plunge and remain low over the area into the weekend. Low temperatures will dip into the single digits across most of the area and possibly approach zero across some northern locations, with wind chill readings possible between minus 5 and minus 10 degrees.

“The way it looks now, we should see anywhere from one to three inches of snow, probably starting overnight Wednesday and then off and on through Friday morning,” said Chris Duke, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis. “It’s kind of a two-part thing. First, there’s the snow and then there’s the cold air behind it. Even after it snows, with temperatures not really even getting up to freezing, whatever snow is there is just going to stay ... this is kind of unusual and the really cold air is going to come in after the snow.”

With the snow, and the extreme cold afterward, the Weather Service advised area residents to take precautions with livestock and pets, as they will need protection from the cold and car batteries should be checked to ensure they will start in the extreme temperatures.

Of course, one major precaution the Weather Service said area residents should be ready for was to take measures to keep water pipes from bursting.

Roszell Gadson, of State Farm Insurance, said, “A small crack in a pip can cause extensive damage. In most cases, water losses can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions.”

These steps include:

• Insulating pipes in unheated areas and those that run along outside walls, floors and ceilings.

• Disconnect outside garden hoses, and seal foundation cracks that let arctic air freeze pipes in crawl spaces.

• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to piping under sinks and vanities near exterior walls.

• Run a small trickle of water from hot and cold faucets during extreme cold.

• Keep exterior doors to unheated spaces closed as much as possible during winter months.

• When planning to be away from an extended period of time, have the water system professionally drained.

• When taking a short trip, ask a neighbor to check the house regularly during severe cold spells. Discovering a burst pipe or water leak quickly can prevent excessive damage.

• Install a whole house water leak detection system.

• Business owners whose businesses will be unoccupied for more than 24 hours at a time should make arrangements to have the building inspected once a day during winter.

Regarding the extreme cold, Duke said that the arctic temperatures will probably continue at least throughout the weekend and into the early part of next week.