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Summary: An arctic airmass has settled over the region and will be with us through Friday. As the coastal storm moved out to sea overnight, clear skies and lightening winds combined with a snow cover enabled air temperatures (not windchill) to plummet, reaching -10°F in Pittsfield, -5 to -10 in most other locations, and -13 on Florida mountain and -30 in parts of the Adirondacks.  Air temperatures this afternoon are in the single digits across the county with wind chill temperatures in the teens to 20s below zero at times. This air mass will begin to moderate and shift to our northeast on Saturday, with temperatures rising into the 20s (woohoo!), only to be replaced by another air mass of arctic origin plunging south into the “standing” wave trough over our region on Sunday behind an arctic cold front. As a result, our temperatures will again be frigid for a good part of next week.

The arctic frontal passage will generate snow showers and squalls on Saturday. The front will be quite strong and, despite the fact that the air in advance of the front will be dry, the lifting motion of the front will squeeze out whatever moisture is available and it is likely that we will see some light accumulation of an inch or two during the day on Saturday as the front passes through. An “Alberta Clipper” surface low pressure system will descend out of Alberta, Canada and rotate through the base of the jet stream wave trough, moving through here on Sunday night with another light snowfall of an inch or two.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear this evening, with increasing, thin high clouds after midnight. It will be brutally cold.

Low temperatures generally -5° to -10°F. Wind chill temperatures in the minus teens to minus 20s at times.

Northwesterly winds at 10-15 mph this evening, decreasing to 5-10 mph after midnight.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy, becoming breezy in the afternoon and remaining very cold. There is the slight chance of a snow flurry in the afternoon. Probability of precipitation 20%. No accumulation expected.

High temperatures near 10 in Pittsfield, Adams, NorthAdams and Williamstown; low teens in Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington and Sheffield and; mid to upper single digits over the elevated terrain. Wind chill temperatures in the teens to 20s below zero early, single digits below zero in the afternoon

West-northwesterly winds at 5-10 mph in the morning, increasing to 10-15 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy and extremely cold.

Low temperatures around -5°F, as low as -10°F over the elevated terrain. Wind chill temperatures in the teens to 20s below zero.

West-northwesterly wind at 10-15 mph.

Friday

Partly cloudy, breezy and very cold.

High temperatures near 10 in Pittsfield, Adams, NorthAdams and Williamstown; low teens in Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington and Sheffield and; mid to upper single digits over the elevated terrain. Wind chill temperatures in the teens to 20s below zero early, single digits below zero in the afternoon.

West-northwesterly winds at 10-15 mph, shifting to southwest late.