February 12, 2016

Boston: Polar vortex to smack region during Valentine's Day weekend

By By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

February 12, 2016, 11:19:24 AM EST

The coldest air of the winter and perhaps during all of last winter will plunge across the Boston area during Valentine's Day weekend.

The polar vortex is a storm that is typically centered near the North Pole and tends to keep the coldest air trapped in northern Canada. Occasionally, this storm weakens or shifts enough to allow frigid air to plummet southward into the United States.

The combination of wind and cold will make for dangerous conditions for the homeless and those not properly dressed this weekend.

Following flurries and locally blinding snow squalls that could quickly blanket some roads during late Friday night into Saturday, temperatures will hold nearly steady or slowly fall on Saturday. Temperatures at the start of the day will be within a few degrees of 20 F.

A piercing wind from the north and northwest will send AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to near zero during the day and well below zero Saturday night.

Actual temperatures will challenge the record low of minus 3 set in 1934, which was also the lowest temperature of all of last winter.

Temperatures may struggle to rebound to the middle teens on Sunday, despite some sunshine. RealFeel Temperatures may not climb above zero.

Milder air will approach the region early next week. However, as it does, an area of snow and ice followed by rain may break out Monday night into Tuesday.

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