Time to bundle up, Boston: wind and bitter cold temps are moving through the area.
“The main weather story for today will be wind and cold,” forecasters for the National Weather Service wrote.
Wind gusts could hit a high of 40 to 50 miles per hour across Massachusetts on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Those strong blows mean wind chills will drop into the single digits and teens, and the service has issued a wind advisory in effect for most of Massachusetts until 8 p.m. Wednesday night. In Boston specifically, expect 39 mile-per-hour winds and an 8-degree minimum wind chill.
Temps dip down into the teens and 20s tonight across most of S. New England. Colder air and strong winds affect the area during Wednesday, with wind chills dropping into the single digits and teens. pic.twitter.com/eWtnqhifLL
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) December 12, 2017
Even though the sun will be out, it won’t add any warmth, according to AccuWeather.
“Wednesday will be the coldest, and definitely the coldest-feeling, day of the season so far across most of the Northeast,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.
As temps stay low, the south coast and Islands may see some light snow Thursday morning that could impact the morning commute. Forecasters are giving Boston a “slight chance of snow” Thursday.
Though the wind is expected to ease up on Thursday, the afternoon could still see gusts of 20 to 30 miles per hour and “another unseasonably cold day with highs [in the] mid-20s to lower 30s,” according to the National Weather Service.
These arctic temperatures will be sticking around for a while. High temps on Friday will remain “below freezing fo most areas,” the weather service said,” though the south coast, Cape Cod and the Islands may actually see an increase, moving up to the lower to mid-30s.
On Saturday, expect highs in the mid-20s to lower 30s again, and a cold night with temperatures in the teens. On Sunday, Massachusetts could see some snow showers in the afternoon, though it may mix with rain, forecasters warn, before changing back to snow showers Sunday night.
Finally, there will be some relief from the bitter cold by Monday, when this cold front pushes offshore and forecasted temperatures will be “close to seasonal levels,” reaching a high around 42 degrees.
When it’s colder than 40 degrees, Boston officials warn resident not to leave infants or children outdoors for long periods of time, and to check on elderly family and neighbors. Check out more of the city’s cold weather tips at boston.gov/cold.
