A cold weather alert has been issued for Preston and Lancashire through to midnight on Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to drop as low as -3 for a third night in a row in and around the city.
Public Health England and the Met Office have issued a Level 2 warning for the North West.
This asks people to be alert and ready for the cold weather.
They say there is a 60 per cent probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions between 9am on Thursday (3 January) through to 12midnight on Saturday (5 January).
Read more: Hour-by-hour weather forecast for the cold snap in Preston
A statement said: “Triggered by the Met Office as soon as the risk is 60% or above for any of the thresholds to be breached. This is an important stage for social and healthcare services who will be working to ensure readiness and swift action to reduce harm from a potential period of cold weather.
“Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.”
Read more: See the latest news and headlines for Preston
Anyone concerned about their health, or the health of a relative or neighbour during the cold weather, can call the NHS on 111 or visit the NHS Winter Health website.
On the roads, Lancashire County Council are gritting all the primary routes in central and southern Lancashire.