BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Another round of Arctic air will impact our region this weekend after a burst of snow Friday night into Saturday. Wind chills will be dangerously cold this weekend through Vermont, northern New York, and northern New Hampshire. Due to the frostbite risk, both Saturday and Sunday are First Alert Weather Days.
What to expect:
A strong Arctic cold front will push through our region late Friday night into Saturday, bringing a round of snow showers, gusty northwesterly winds, and another surge of bitterly cold air. The combination of frigid temperatures and gusty winds will create dangerously cold wind chills Saturday and especially Sunday.
Extreme cold alerts have been issued for our region ahead of the cold. An Extreme Cold Warning goes into effect in northern New York and most of southern Vermont first as the cold air slides in from the west Saturday morning. A Cold Weather Advisory goes into effect for Champlain Valley, CT River Valley, and most of Vermont Saturday evening along with an Extreme Cold Watch for western New Hampshire.
No matter what type of cold weather alert your area is in, it will be dangerously cold, especially early Sunday. Wind chills could reach -20° to -40°. All of these cold weather alerts remain in effect until Sunday afternoon.
Wind chills will drop through the day Saturday, likely starting in the teens and single digits and dropping well below zero by Saturday evening. From late Saturday through Sunday morning wind chills will likely reach -20° to -30°. Localized wind chills could even reach -40°.
With wind chills this cold, frostbite can form on exposed skin in as little as 10-30 minutes. If you have to spend any time outdoors, make sure to wear warm, loose layers that cover as much skin as possible. And remember that pets can get frostbite too! Limit their time outdoors to bathroom breaks ONLY!
Wind chills will stay below zero for the entire day Sunday and will remain below zero overnight into Monday as well. But then wind chills return to the single digits for most of us by Monday afternoon.
Actual temperatures will be in the single digits to low teens this weekend with overnight lows dropping below zero Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Snow before the cold:
The Arctic front that will usher in brutal wind chills this weekend will bring us a batch of snow Friday night into Saturday morning. Snow will approach our region late Friday evening, arriving first in northern New York, then spreading east into Vermont and New Hampshire. Snow will likely hold off until after dinner Friday in northern New York, arriving in Vermont overnight into early Saturday morning.
As the front passes early Saturday morning it is possible for a few snow squalls to form. In addition to visibility issues from any heavier bursts of snow we see, snow will cause slick road conditions through Saturday morning. If you have to be out on the roads, especially early in the day, please use caution and drive slowly.
Snow will also spread into New Hampshire Saturday morning before tapering to light scattered snow showers by Saturday evening. We’re not expecting a lot of snow with this system, but a widespread 2-4″ are likely. Localized higher totals are possible in northern New York. Northern New Hampshire and the lower CT River Valley will likely see slightly less snow with 1-3″ likely.
When Do We Warm Up?
The frigid airmass will loosen its grip on the region by early next week. Temperatures are expected to back into the 20s by Tuesday, then temperatures hang out in the 20s through mid-week. After that we continue to warm up with temperatures possible reaching the low 30s. We could see temperatures reach near or even above freezing for the first time in weeks.
The First Alert Weather Team will continue to track this evening’s snow and the dangerous wind chills for this weekend. Stay with us on air, online and on the WCAX First Alert Weather App for updates.
