DATE: January 7, 2015
TIME: 8:00 AM
SUBJECT: Dangerous Wind Chill Tonight and Thursday
Situation
An intense Arctic cold front will sweep across the region this afternoon. The temperatures will drop into the teens. Northwest winds will gust to 25-35 mph all night tonight and 15-30 mph on Thursday. For Boston, a low of 0 to -2 degrees will be the coldest reading in 4 years. Highs Thursday will range from 14 to 25 degrees, less cold along the southern coast and islands.
Watches & Warnings
A Wind Chill Warning is now in effect for Northern Worcester County, all of Franklin County, Western Hampshire County, Western Hampden County and all of Berkshire County. Wind chills of -25F are possible in these areas. Exposed flesh can freeze in 10 minutes or less at these readings.
A Wind Chill Advisory is now in effect in the remainder of Southern New England, except for the islands. Wind chills of -15F to -24F are possible in these areas. Exposed flesh can freeze in 30 minutes or less at these temperatures.
A Gale Warning is now in effect for all Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal waters. Winds of 34 to 47 knots, either sustained or frequent gusts, are expected over these waters.
A Freezing Spray Advisory has been issued for all Massachusetts and Rhode Island waters.
Temperatures and Impacts
Potentially life-threatening cold. Dangerous wind chills may result in frostbite or hypothermia.
Temperature Ranges:
· 10 below zero across northwest MA
· 0 to 5 below in the coastal plain, including Boston and Providence
· 0 to 5 above on Cape Cod
· near 10 above on Nantucket
Projected Wind Chill Temperatures
Spot Forecast: Boston
Spot Forecast: Worcester
Spot Forecast: Springfield
Spot Forecast: Pittsfield
MEMA Operations
The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring). MEMA will continue to monitor the forecast and will disseminate Situational Awareness Statements as necessary.
Stay Informed
For general extreme cold weather information and safety tips, see http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/ready-massachusetts/extreme-cold.html
For MEMA’s extreme cold press release, see http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/press-releases/mema-offers-precautions-for-extreme-cold.html
For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany)
For real-time power outage information, by community, county, and provider, see MEMA's Power Outage Website: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html.
Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.
Online Resources
For additional information and resources, visit:
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at www.mass.gov/mema
MEMA's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA
MEMA Twitter: @MassEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov
National Weather Service/Taunton at www.weather.gov/boston
National Weather Service/Albany, NY at www.weather.gov/albany
National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/
Mass211 at www.mass211.org
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