Extreme Cold Warning: Northeast Braces for Record-Breaking Temperatures
As temperatures across New England dip to levels usually only seen in Siberia, residents of the region have been warned to bundle up against the bitter cold. The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting a “dangerously cold air mass” that will move into Southern New England on Friday, bringing with it a wind chill that could reach as low as 30 degrees below zero.[0] Frostbite and hypothermia can form on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the NWS warned.
In Portland, Maine, temperatures are expected to drop to minus 18 degrees, the coldest temperature since 1994.[1] In Manchester, New Hampshire, the wind chill has been the lowest since the mid-1990s, and Boston could see wind chills of 30 degrees below zero.[2]
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a cold emergency from Friday through Sunday and opened warming centers for those who need to get out of the cold.[3] Boston Public Schools were closed Friday due to the cold.[4]
On Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the wind chill reached an incredible -107°F on Friday evening, likely the coldest on record for any station in the U.S.[5]
Highs on Saturday will be 10 to 15 degrees, with wind chills ranging from below zero to 10 below.[6] Temperatures will start rising on Saturday night, and by Sunday, the cold front will move out and much milder air will settle in, with areas across the state potentially reaching 20 degrees by sunrise.[7] It’ll continue to warm into the 30s and low 40s by Sunday afternoon.[6]
A mix of sun and clouds with a chance of snow showers far north on Monday will bring highs in the 40s to start the workweek.[8] Warmer than average conditions continue through most of next week, with a few rain and snow chances arriving towards mid to late week.[9]
The NWS has urged people to stay indoors to avoid the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, and warned that this could be the coldest air seen in the region in seven years.[5] With temperatures and wind chills this low, frostbite can occur in just a few minutes. So Massachusetts and the rest of the Northeast are being warned to stay safe in this extreme cold.
0. “It’s going to feel like -30 in Connecticut. How to stay safe” WTNH.com, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/its-going-to-feel-like-30-in-connecticut-how-to-stay-warm/
1. “Northern Maine hunkers down for Arctic blast with minus 60 wind chills” Bangor Daily News, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/02/03/news/aroostook/northern-maine-hunkers-down-arctic-wind-chills-joam40zk0w/
2. “Polar vortex prompts Wind Chill Warnings across Northeast as coldest air in over 5 years arrives” Fox Weather , 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/arctic-blast-northeast-friday-saturday
3. “Weekend winter weather forecast: Saturday cold, Sunday snow in US” USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2023/02/04/winter-weather-forecast-weekend-february/11180028002/
4. “It’s going to be very, very cold in Mass. But northern Maine will be colder. And on Mt. Washington, forget it.” Boston.com, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.boston.com/weather/weather/2023/02/03/frigid-temps-maine-mt-washington-negative-100/
5. “Millions in US north-east brace for ‘once-in-a-generation’ Arctic blast” The Guardian US, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/03/arctic-blast-us-north-east-cold-weather
6. “weather: Here's how cold it could be this weekend” The Boston Globe, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/01/31/metro/boston-weather-cold-weekend
7. “Dangerous wind chills up to 45 below zero continue into Saturday morning” WPTZ, 4 Feb. 2023, https://www.mynbc5.com/article/subzero-wind-chills-polar-vortex-vermont-new-york/42733820
8. “Video: Dangerously cold temperatures, wind chills in New Hampshire” WMUR Manchester, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-weather-video-evening-2323/42762264
9. “Here's how cold it will get in the Northeast from the polar vortex” The Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/02/03/new-england-polar-vortex-cold/
