Arctic Cold Blast Could Be Coldest In Years In New England, But Will Leave Quickly

A​n arctic cold front has swept across the Northeast and is delivering some of the coldest temperatures and wind chills in years but will leave almost as fast as it arrives.

This is a dramatic change on the heels of what was one of the warmest Januaries on record.

Current Conditions

The arctic air has already made its way into the Northeast after a strong cold front tracked through the region overnight. Bitterly cold wind chills also continue in the Great Lakes and upper Midwest.

We expect the coldest air and strongest winds to last over the Northeast through Saturday afternoon.

How Cold Will It Get?

Temperatures

D​aily record lows are possible Saturday morning in southern New England, the New York City metro area and parts of upstate New York.

B​oston's Logan Airport saw temperatures reach -10 degrees Saturday morning, making it their coldest morning since the Valentine's 2016 outbreak.

L​ows in New York City could match those in the days before Christmas over a month ago.

I​n general, computer model forecasts suggested the magnitude of this cold is what you would typically expect once every 10 years.

(​MORE MAPS: 10-Day U.S. Forecast Highs/Lows)

I​t's not just cold temperatures.

Strong winds behind the cold front through Saturday afternoon will produce dangerously low wind chills.

Wind chill alerts have been posted by the National Weather Service for much of New England, New York and far northern Pennsylvania into Saturday evening. Dangerous wind chills are possible in those areas.

Wind chills may reach the minus 50s or 60s into early Saturday over northern New England. According to the National Weather Service, Caribou, Maine, hasn't measured a wind chill in the minus 50s in 35 years. Portland, Maine hasn't had a minus 35-degree wind chill since 1981. Those wind chills could be near all-time records, according to data compiled by UNC-Asheville meteorology student Evan Fisher.

W​ind chills at the Mount Washington Observatory in northern New Hampshire may bottom out in the 100s below zero ​into early Saturday. That could lead to frostbite on any exposed skin in less than a minute atop the 6,288-foot peak, according to a forecast written by observatory staff meteorologists.

I​t Won't Last Long

If you're not a fan of extreme cold, we have some good news: T​his is about as short-lived a cold snap as you can get this time of year. The cold will already start to ease Saturday night.

E​xcept in areas near the Canadian border in northern New England, Sunday morning's low temperatures will be similar to the highs from Saturday.

By Sunday afternoon, highs in the 40s could push as far north as the Hudson Valley and southern New England.

Our extended forecast shows generally above-average temperatures re-establishing themselves in the East through the middle of the month.

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