Boston's Early Winter Welcome: A Chilly Veterans Day and Beyond

Well, Boston, it seems winter has decided to make an early — and rather emphatic — entrance this year. Forget your crisp autumn days; a biting arctic air mass is hurtling towards the city, promising a truly raw and blustery Veterans Day, complete with wind-whipped flurries and temperatures that, honestly, will make you shiver just thinking about them. It’s a proper winter preview, you could say.

If you're planning on being out and about Monday, perhaps attending one of the solemn observances, do yourself a favor: bundle up. And then bundle up some more. We're talking high temperatures struggling to even kiss the low 40s, but here's the kicker — those brutal winds, gusting sometimes up to a whopping 40 miles per hour, will make it feel like the deep 20s, maybe even the teens. Imagine that, a November day that feels more like the dead of January. It's a stark reminder, isn't it, of the unpredictable temperament of New England weather?

And, for those hoping this chilly blast is just a fleeting visitor, I'm afraid I have some news. This isn't just a one-day affair; the frigid air is here to stay, at least through the weekend. Saturday looks set to be mostly sunny, a silver lining perhaps, but don't let that bright sky fool you. Temperatures will remain stubbornly in the low 40s, the kind of cold that bites right through your coat if you're not careful. The nights? Oh, they'll dip well into the 20s, a proper deep freeze that’ll have the heating bills climbing.

Come Sunday, there's even a chance we'll see a light rain and snow mix, though accumulations are expected to be minimal, if anything at all. Still, the mere thought of a wintry precipitation just underscores the point: this is a decidedly cold snap. So, dig out those hats, gloves, and scarves — all the gear you thought you had a few more weeks before needing. Because, for once, it truly feels like winter has given us an early, albeit rather rude, wake-up call.