Bitter? You call this bitter? Hang on. This is cold. Bitter is Thursday morning.
Next couple of days will still test your mettle, however. Highs in the 20s and lows in the teens remind us that these are the cold, dark days of midwinter. Typically, the coldest airmasses of the season come in the next couple of weeks as the arctic air sweeps in from the prairies of Central Canada to New England.
This is exactly the setup I see unfolding in the coming days…week..and perhaps to mid month. What’s also noted is the lack of moisture in the jetstream. Without anything to infuse the passing fronts, lows and weak disturbances, I’m not seeing a widespread accumulating snow. That said, I’m a firm believer in the idea that arctic air can make weird things happen. What seems like a quiet pattern today may become an active and snowy one tomorrow. Only takes one storm, and we need to be vigilant.
The advice is obvious in the coming days. Dress in layers, drink plenty of liquids (arctic air is the silent dehydrator), limit your time in the cold (exercise indoors if possible) and wash your hands. We’re all going to be indoors, so bugs and viruses are going to have a heyday.
Coldest days will be tomorrow and Thursday, with a few bitter mornings peppered throughout the 7 day forecast too. We should start our day on Thursday near or below zero in Boston, the first time that’s happened in about 4 years. If there is a bright side, bitter air keeps the bug population in check. The deeper and longer it sticks around, the longer it has to increase the mortality or “winterkill” of droves of summer pests (mosquitoes, gnats, moths, etc).
Sure you’ll be thinking of that as your fingers go numb waiting for the train.
Pete