Freezing weather Friday night could bring some mosquito relief

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

Get ready for a little taste of winter. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for much of the Bay State, as temperatures are expected to fall below 32 degrees Friday night into Saturday morning, with some areas even dropping to the upper 20s.

The weather service reported that the low temperatures could kill crops and damage sensitive vegetation. “Outside of [Interstate 495] any growing season that’s been going on will come to an end,” said weather service meteorologist Alan Dunham.

Interior Plymouth County will see temperatures in the low 30s, which will likely cause some frost on the bogs, Dunham said.

Dunham also said the low temperatures could bring an end to the mosquito season — and the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. “If we can get down to 30, maybe we can get rid of some of those mosquitoes,” he said.

“Once a hard frost has occurred in an area, virtually all mosquitoes are killed off,” State Public Health Veterinarian Catherine Brown said today in a statement. “The risk of [Eastern equine encephalitis] becomes negligible once a hard frost has occurred.”

Brown said a small risk for West Nile virus remains and that cases have been reported after a hard frost because a few species of mosquitoes that carry the virus move indoors to wait out the winter.

A cold front Friday will cause mostly cloudy skies, wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour, and the chance of a few showers during the morning hours, he said.

A high pressure system from central Canada will pass through the Great Lakes Friday afternoon, Dunham said, and by Friday night New England will see the coldest air it has had to brave so far this season, he said.

“Even Boston is looking to get down to the low 30s,” he said.

Outside Route 128, the temperatures will drop dramatically, Dunham said.

Burlington, Framingham, and Hopkinton will see temperatures in the upper 20s, while areas in southwestern New Hampshire will get as cold as the mid-20s, he said.

Saturday will be “gorgeous” but “a little chilly,” Dunham said.

Sunday will bring clouds, but the weather will be a bit warmer, with temperatures in high 60s, Dunham said.