Covington County residents should get ready to go from one weather extreme to another in the coming days.

Monday, the constant freezing temperatures of the past week had created a thin layer of ice on Gantt Lake. However, by Friday, the below-freezing morning temperatures and harsh wind chill factors may be replaced by highs near 60 degrees.

The National Weather Service reported Monday a hard freezing warning will remain in effect for Covington County through Tuesday. Wednesday’s high is expected at 55 degrees, followed by a low of 32 degrees — a low expected to bring to an end an 11-day period of sub-zero mornings.

Cities throughout the state are reporting record-breaking freezing streaks. However, it is unclear if this area has had such a record-breaking streak, due to lack of concrete weather data.

“But as long as I’ve been in the EMA, (the 11-day period) is a record for us,” said Susan Carpenter, emergency management agency director.

Documented lows from Jan. 3 to Jan. 11 at the South Alabama Regional Airport ranged from 12 degrees Monday to 24 degrees on Jan. 3. For seven of the nine days, low temperatures were in the teens.

In the south end of the county at the Florala Airport, temps ranged from 19 degrees to 26 degrees for the same period.

Those lows should be a thing of the past later this week, as the sun is forecasted to shine briefly Thursday, bringing the high to 61 degrees, before giving away to cloudy skies Friday and Saturday.