When presented the opportunity to dive right in or slow ease into the water, I usually prefer….all in at once versus wading into the water…let’s just get this over with! Ma Nature has spoken & she’s going with the wading into water approach with our arctic air by letting us slowly adjust to the bitterly cold air that is coming. If you step out this evening (or have been) or will be out early tomorrow, plan on cold temps and even colder wind chills. The first of two arctic fronts came through late today sending temps into the teens but also driving wind chills down near zero. Woah. Thankfully, that wind fades overnight but Friday morning temps, single numbers, will be our coldest since January 5th…38 days. Dress accordingly. Sunshine roots us on throughout most of the day.
Saturday we see the main event—THE arctic front, the one you used to read about (in blogs in previous winters). This front brings the coldest air of the winter into New England with record cold likely on Sunday Morning. Even before we set any records, the air is wicked cold Saturday afternoon & night with temps falling through the teens all day & reaching zero by midnight. Just the temps alone is a headline but when you factor in strong winds, the wind chill becomes the real concern with those values plummeting to -15 by Saturday Evening—that’s dangerous cold. Forget the fashion statement for #DateNight, put the puffy coat on as well as the hats & gloves (as well as jumper cables in the car–just in case).
Sunday is our coldest day of winter (and probably 2016) with many towns starting below zero and only reaching the lower teens by afternoon. Even Boston-Logan (where official temp records are kept) is likely to be near -3. That would tie the record for the day…very impressive, also very cold. Wind fades by mid afternoon, removing the threat of dangerous wind chills.
Monday will feel like a heat wave after the cold start (single numbers) with temps into the upper 20s (good day for skiing). Hard to believe but when our next storm arrives on Tuesday, it’s in the form of rain…..yup, like many other storms this winter, nothing able to "lock in" our arctic air, so the storm just gives it the Ol Heisman stiff arm. Temps reach 50 by Tuesday evening. (Well…..there may be 1-3 hours of some snow/sleet outside of I-495 but even there, it’s a rainstorm)
Stay warm these next few days…keep the pets warm too!
~JR