EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — As the month of January comes to a close, a lot of people have been left wondering: “Where is winter? Why has it been so mild? Where is the snow?”
January so far has registered as the 4th warmest on record for Rhode Island, however, the upcoming weather pattern is favoring an Arctic blast as we enter the first weekend of February.
A piece of what is often referred to as the “polar vortex” will make its way through the Great Lakes region and move eastward over New England.
This brief but frigid airmass is expected to bring teens and 20s for daytime temperatures with overnight lows in the single digits and below zero.
Wind chills will also be a factor as many could be waking up to feels like temperatures -15 to -25 on Saturday morning.
This blast of cold air will be short-lived but the core of the cold looks to be overhead on Saturday.
RECORD COLD AIR?
Forecasted highs on Saturday may not get out of the teens with overnight lows below zero.
Here’s a look at the record coldest high and low temperatures for Providence: *Note: Data is recorded at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick*
The coldest air of the season arrives on Friday but doesn’t quite get to those record-challenging numbers until Saturday.
The record low for Feb. 4 is -2 degrees, set back in 1918. As current forecasts stand, that could be in jeopardy.
If you aren’t a fan of the colder weather, temperatures are expected to rise above average later on Sunday.
