Officials issued a wind chill advisory Wednesday in the White Mountains with temperatures expected to drop below freezing and snow in the forecast.
“The calendar might read mid-May but the White Mountains will feel more like late March,” Mount Washington Observatory officials wrote on Twitter. The wind chill advisory is in effect until Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, the wind chill is expected to fall to single digits, with gusts reaching up to 70 mph in the evening, officials said. At elevations above 4,000 feet, more than 3 inches of snow could fall, according to a forecast from meteorologist Ryan Knapp on the observatory’s website. Lower elevations will receive up to 1 inch.
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Snow is expected to taper off Wednesday night, Knapp said. On Thursday, temperatures will rise to the lower 30s but “will remain well below normal for mid-May,” he wrote. The wind chill advisory is set to expire at 8 a.m.
Knapp cautioned hikers seeking to traverse the mountains while the warning is in effect.
“This will reduce exposure and hypothermia times to a matter of minutes if not adequately prepared for winter hiking,” he wrote.
Much of Massachusetts will experience a blast of cold weather Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. The region will experience “gusty winds” and “cooler-than-normal highs,” as well as below-freezing temperatures into the night, according to a forecast discussion. A freeze watch was issued for Wednesday night and Thursday morning over the western part of the state.
The calendar might read mid-May but the White Mountains will feel more like late March Weds into Thurs morning. Full details are available at https://t.co/XgUuKwoWkd. And similar to late March, all summit facilities remain closed for the season over this forecast period. pic.twitter.com/0OpEgkvhLt
— Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) (@MWObs) May 17, 2023
[Wed Night Lows -- Sub Freezing Temps] Low temps Wed night will bottom out in the middle 20s to the lower 30s in many outlying locations & middle 30s to near 40 in some urban centers. A Freeze Watch has been issued for much of western MA late Wed night into early Thu am. pic.twitter.com/TsON0hFhWp
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) May 16, 2023
Kate Armanini can be reached at kate.armanini@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateArmanini.