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WBZ-TV Weather Alert: Dangerously Cold Wind Chills And Damaging Wind Gusts

BOSTON (CBS) - Our WBZ-TV Weather Team has hoisted a 'Storm Watch Weather Alert' for Thursday and Friday. For those of you that are just becoming familiar with our weather alerts, it's our way of giving you a head's up in advance of impactful weather.

I think you know by now - a blast of arctic air is on the way. In fact, this is the coldest air we've seen since Valentine's Day. So it's been a while since we've dealt with temperatures this extreme. We're forecasting record cold high temperatures by Friday. On top of that, it's the wind that will really add insult to injury. The cold will be ushered in by a series of fronts, each of which will bring the chance for some snow.

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(WBZ-TV graphic)

Lots to break down, so let's get to the details.

Records in Jeopardy & Dangerously Cold "Real Feels"

After being near 40 Wednesday, highs will only top out in the 20's Thursday. Add a west-northwest wind 10-20 mph gusting to 30 mph, and we're talking about wind chill values in the single digits. The heart of the cold air comes overhead Thursday night into Friday.

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(WBZ-TV graphic)

Morning lows Friday will near record cold territory and wind chill values will be a dangerous 15-25 BELOW zero for many of us. We only rebound into the teens for highs Friday afternoon.

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(WBZ-TV graphic)

Would you believe me if I said by Sunday we'll be in the 50's? Wild, I know. Saturday is the transition (highs in the 30's) before the warm air makes a brief appearance Sunday. We'll return to more seasonal temperatures for the start of next week.

Potentially Damaging Wind

While the wind will be strong the next couple of days, it won't reach damaging thresholds until Thursday night and pre-dawn Friday. Widespread gusts to 40 mph are likely from just before midnight Friday until Friday morning.

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(WBZ-TV graphic)

Some gusts could top out 45-55 mph, particularly on Cape Cod during this time as well. This would be strong enough to cause some scattered pockets of damage and outages.

So in other words, it'd be a smart idea to bring in some of your holiday decorations, especially the big blow up Santa you may have on your front lawn!

Snow Showers & Squalls

Each front that comes through southern New England the next 48 hours will trigger a few snow showers and squalls along the way. While accumulation will be limited to a coating to a quick inch in some locations, I'm more concerned with the impact on the roads and driving conditions where they do come through.

Just like summertime thunderstorms, it difficult to predict where exactly they'll be. Some towns won't see a flake and others will have a quick burst of snow. Where it does snow, expect reduced visibility and some slippery spots to result. One round of snow showers is possible Wednesday night, another Thursday afternoon and evening.

Weekend Storm

A separate storm moves in the for the weekend. Snow will likely arrive in southern New England Friday night into Saturday morning. The worst conditions will be felt Saturday morning as accumulating snow gradually changes over to rain from south to north during the late morning and afternoon.

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(WBZ-TV graphic)

While it's still too early to give amounts, it's worth prepping for a plowable snow potential with several inches possible, mainly through the interior. By Sunday, it's leftover rain showers tapering through the day.

More details on our weekend storm in the next couple of days. Stay tuned to WBZ on-air and online for the very latest forecast.

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