Weather

Map: How frigid it will feel on Friday and Saturday with the ‘dangerously cold airmass’ arriving

Forecasters are warning the system will deliver a “shot of pure arctic air, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years.”

By Dialynn Dwyer

January 31, 2023

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Don’t get used to the seasonal temperatures that are blanketing Massachusetts right now; they won’t be here for long. 

The National Weather Service is warning that a “dangerously cold airmass” will arrive on our doorstep early Friday morning into Saturday, delivering a “shot of pure arctic air, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years.”

According to the service, the last time we saw cold of this magnitude was Valentine’s Day 2016.

“The arctic front delivering this cold shot arrives sometime Friday morning, likely as early as the pre-dawn hours for western zones,” forecasters said. “Though guidance is coming into more agreement on the arrival time, there remains some uncertainty, and the core of the cold air doesn’t arrive until Friday night/early Saturday. This means that Friday’s high temperature will occur during the early hours of the morning before the strong cold air advection takes place.”

Residents should expect widespread below zero temperatures by Saturday morning, according to the service.

The minimum apparent temperature Friday night into Saturday morning is forecast to be -30 in Boston.

The service and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency are urging residents to make preparations for the cold now, warning that under the expected conditions frostbite can occur within 10 minutes.

The good news is that the service is predicting that the temperatures are expected to rebound quickly from the Arctic air, rising well into the 40s on Sunday and Monday.