On my way home I realized that I needed some pet supplies from a nearby shopping center and while I walking through the parking lot bracing myself from the wind and cold a blue and stark white marque from a chain store had a very true message. Yes, it will be five below tomorrow night and will feel like five below tomorrow through the day while this most recent snow event winds itself up and moves out to sea. When did we last have a daytime high temperature of 7 degrees? The forties will be back Monday morning and then back to 7 degrees on your commute home in the evening. I think I see a pattern here.

As we all anticipate the coldest punishing air mass of the new winter season we need to take precautions from the elements affecting all of us in southern New England. After a prolonged period of snow and wind, the arctic bite will be felt in a big way for a couple of days Friday and Saturday. Very dry and light powdery snow will begin covering our landscape during Thursday mornings commute and will intensify Thursday evening into near blizzard conditions as an intense coastal low will deepen off the mid Atlantic coast drawing in bitter cold air from Canada. Northeast winds will pick up creating near wideout conditions at times. The eastern coastal areas will feel the full wrath of this winter storm with gale force wind gusts exceeding 50mph. The storm will depart Friday morning leaving behind about a half foot or more of snow with sculptured drifts all over the place and the coldest temperatures here n 10 years. Highs on Friday will struggle to reach the low teens and lows of 5-15 below zero will be common Saturday morning. Then a gradual warm up through the weekend. “Nice”.