Record cold, brutal wind chills in weekend forecast

BOSTON (WHDH) – Extremely cold temperatures and bitter wind chills moved into Massachusetts on Friday as residents attempted to clean up from a brutal winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow, whipped the state with hurricane-force winds and flooded coastal communities on Thursday.

The arctic air moved in on the heels of the storm during the early morning hours. The cold will grip the state through the weekend.

“In all likelihood this is probably going to be the coldest two-day stretch this winter,” Chief Meteorologist Jeremy Reiner said.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Friday will keep highs in the teens and wind chills in the negatives across the state. A wind advisory is in place until 10 p.m.

Temperatures Friday night and into early Saturday will dip below zero with wind chills between -15 degrees and -30 degrees.

Boston, the South Shore, South Coast, Cape Cod, North Shore and the Merrimack Valley are under a wind chill advisory through early Sunday. A wind chill warning has been issued for Worcester County and western Massachusetts.

Temperatures are not expected to crack 11 degrees on Saturday. Wind chills will be as low as -35 degrees on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

“These are dangerously low wind chill temperatures. Exposed skin is prone to frostbite in just 30 minutes,” Reiner said.

Temperature records are likely to fall Sunday morning in Boston and Worcester.

Temperatures on Sunday won’t be much warmer. Highs will not leave the teens.

“I guess if there’s any good news, the bitterly cold air means we don’t have any storms to contend with,” Reiner said.

Temperatures will warm up next week and climb into the 40s on Tuesday.

For more, visit the 7Weather page.

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