“Timing is critical” if the county is to see snow in the coming days, said Jeff Garmin of the Mobile field office of the National Weather Service (NWS).

“Co-op observers” — residents living within the county that provide the NWS with data — reported temperatures as low as 22 degrees in Florala on Monday.

“It could have been maybe a little colder with the outlying areas in the county seeing upper- to mid-teens,” Garvin said. “Inside the cities, temperatures ranged from 20 to 22 degrees.”

Garmin said it could warm just slightly on Wednesday before the rain brings in a chance of sleet or snow flurries Thursday.

“This isn’t the coldest winter Covington County has seen by far,” he said. “But what makes this period different from other winters is the length of the coldness. It’s going to last all week long and on into the weekend.

“Thursday, there is a definite possibility of snow, but the timing of the moisture is critical,” he said. “As far as accumulation, it’s definitely cold enough, but we have to watch. If it falls during the day, the snow will melt as it falls. If it comes in during the early-morning hours or the evening, as the temperature drops, there’s a good chance we could see accumulation.

“It’s just that the timing of it moving in is critical,” he said. “These temperatures definitely put a hardship on residents, so you definitely want to make sure those pipes are wrapped and you prepare each night for the coming temperatures.”