The National Weather Service has a hard freeze watch for the local area in effect beginning at midnight Thursday until 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service said arctic air is settling southwest from Canada into the central and eastern United States this week.

Wednesday’s temperatures are expected to be around 52 degrees during the day but drop to a low of 19 degrees with a wind chill of 9 degrees.

For Thursday’s forecast, the NWS predicted Bogalusa to be sunny with a high temperature of 39 degrees and a wind chill as low as 8 degrees. Thursday night’s forecast called for partly cloudy skies with a low temperature of 23 degrees.

The NWS said temperatures should rise to 47 during the day Friday and drop to around 30 degrees that night.

During a hard freeze, people are urged to take special precautions with people, pets and plants, as the harsh temperatures could be dangerous to any of these if they are left exposed to the elements. Pipes may also freeze under such conditions, so exposed outdoor pipes should also be protected.

The area also remains under a river flooding advisory. The Pearl River at Bogalusa stood at 19.2 feet at 5 p.m. Tuesday and is expected to crest around 20 feet on Friday. Flood stage for the Pearl River at Bogalusa is 18 feet, although the conditions are not expected to present problems for most in the area.