A blast of bitter Arctic air and wind sent wind chill values falling across New England Friday creating widespread dangerous conditions and causing damage in several communities.
In Boston, firefighters had to deal with the elements as they battled a blaze on Wharf Road in the Seaport.
Water, hoses and even firefighter coats froze as first responders fought the flames.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who declared a cold emergency ahead of the forecasted extreme cold snap earlier this week, said strong winds have added another layer of concern.
“It’s a particularly challenging extra layer of dangerousness to being outside,” she said.
The cold prompted widespread school closures around Massachusetts.
The MBTA has also staffed up, calling in extra personnel to work over the weekend while crews brace for trouble on the tracks.
Jeff Gonneville, the T’s acting general manager, said Thursday that crews would be going through T vehicles to make sure the air systems which control doors and breaks would be prepared and ready for the cold.
Reports of damage came in across New England as wind and cold weather rolled in.
In Salem, N.H., a falling tree crushed a car, sending its driver to the hospital.
A baby died after a tree fell on an SUV in Southwick.
And power outages have mounted, with an emergency outage planned in Hudson, Stow and parts of surrounding communities to begin at 3 a.m. after a tree branch fell on a line.
On Mount Washington, winter weather on Friday was poised to set records, plunging wind chills below -100 degrees with a combination of below-zero temperatures and howling wind gusts well over 100 miles-per-hour.
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