Well, it looks as if winter has finally arrived to the Pioneer Valley, and she means business! It seems we can expect possible power outages due to the high winds. Make sure to have your flashlights powered up, and back up power and heat sources ready to go, should we lose power. It's also extremely important to dress appropriately for the weather if you need to be outside for any period of time.
Real Estate Reminder: Remember to keep your heat on low if you have to be out of town during the cold snap. Burst pipes can lead to very expensive plumbing and cosmetic fixes!
Here's the report from the Daily Hampshire Gazette today:
Cold snap expected to arrive in Pioneer Valley
By EMILY CUTTS
@ecutts_HG
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Photo credit: Allegro Photography
An Arctic front is expected to hit the region bringing with it cold temperatures, high winds and snow, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton.
Thursday morning’s high temperature in the 20s is forecast to drop throughout the day to the mid-teens, according to Bill Simpson, a spokesperson with the weather service.
Winds will gradually increase with wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph in the afternoon bringing with it wind chills dropping near zero, Simpson said.
“One good thing – it’s a relatively short period,” he said.
The highest winds and lowest wind chills are expected in the evening and could hit 10 to 20 below zero in Western Massachusetts with some locations even colder, according to Simpson.
Moving into Friday, winds are expected to die down and temperatures are forecast in the mid-teens.
Snow is expected to arrive following the evening commute and could drop four to five inches in the Connecticut River Valley.
“Dress appropriately. We have a wind chill advisory out once you get below zero to minus 20,” Simpson said. “Hopefully people are dressing appropriately.”
Simpson also said people should prepare for possible power outages because of the high winds.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.