Beaufort County is in for a freeze tonight

Friday’s chilly start may have Beaufort County residents trading their flip flops for wool socks, but they’ll be happy to know the cold snap isn’t going to last.

It’s a two-day event, with temperatures reaching their lowest point overnight and then returning to normal by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. By Monday, the county should see highs in the low 70s once again.

But for now, bundle away — and bring pets and potted plants inside, too.

The county saw a low of just 40 degrees Friday morning, registered at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and will experience highs in the low 50s this afternoon, meteorologist Blair Holloway said.

Overnight, temperatures should fall to 32 degrees, just around freezing, along the coast and even lower, down to the upper 20s, further inland.

That’s about 12 degrees lower than average for Beaufort County this time of year, Holloway said.

“We’ll moderate pretty nicely Sunday and into the early part of next week,” he said. “Overall, not a prolonged period of cold air, but certainly very chilly.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Beaufort County is in for a freeze tonight."