Bostonians woke up to the sharp embrace of winter today, as the city wrestles with bone-chilling temperatures and the prospect of an unforgiving December. According to NBC Boston, the mercury plunged to create wind chills lingering in the single digits this morning, only to crawl to the upper teens by afternoon. In a stark contrast to the frigid air, the sky maintained a sunny disposition from dawn until dusk.
As the evening descends, the city is preparing for what seems like an arctic night. With forecasts pointing to lows falling to the single digits and low 10s—thankfully, without the bite of the wind. The National Weather Service reports a slight reprieve is in store for tomorrow, as most areas are expected to creep above the freezing mark, despite a potential wait until the very late evening as clouds roll in and the winds shift southward.
The middle of the week offers a brief warmth respite with rain likely, especially after 2 pm on Wednesday. NBC Boston notes that Wednesday is pegged as the warmest day of the week with highs in the low 40s, though this fleeting comfort will be chased away as colder air ushers back in by Thursday. Subsequently, temperatures will tumble from the mid-30s in the morning to 20s come late afternoon.
Boston's December has been consistently subpar in terms of temperature, now vying with December 2017 for one of the recent cold ones. NBC Boston states, "We are a over 8 degrees below normal," continuing a colder-than-average trend that is expected to stretch through mid-month. The polar vortex's presence to our north contributes to the sustained chill, yet meteorologists have not signaled any major storms on the horizon, with only weak weather disturbances expected in the coming days.
Residents can anticipate the week rounding out with a slight chance of snow, as the National Weather Service forecasts a 30% chance of snow after midnight on Friday and into Saturday. Despite the potential for snowy interruptions, the weekend should see moments of sunshine with highs near 34 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday, though brisk winds continue, gusting as high as 21 mph.
