Bitter Cold, Snow On Way To MA Late This Week

MASSACHUSETTS — A chance of snow showers on Friday will pave the way for the most frigid air of the season across Massachusetts on Saturday with high temperatures in the teens and wind chills close to zero this weekend.

What are already among the most brisk days of the year on Wednesday and Thursday will be reinforced with even colder air this weekend after a storm system is expected to pass mostly to the south of Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow is forecast to begin Friday afternoon and last into the early evening. Early snowfall forecasts are calling for up to an inch of snow for much of the state with 1 to 3 inches possible on Cape Cod and on the South Coast.

That will open the door to a bone-chilling weekend with highs in the low 20s in Boston and teens in many suburbs. A steady northwest wind at 15 to 20 mph will cause wind chills to fall toward zero degrees on Saturday and Saturday night.

Sunday is expected to be another frigid day with highs in the upper 20s and a persistent northwest wind.

Looking ahead, a pattern change next week likely brings temperatures back up in the 40s to near 50 for highs throughout the week with a chance of rain replacing concerns about snow and ice.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)