BOSTON, Mass. – A widespread early-season cold snap will lock in across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire late tonight, with Freeze Warnings bringing lows into the mid-20s to near 30 by dawn Friday and ending the growing season for many inland communities. The chill arrives fastest north and west of I-95, where frost will be thickest in valleys and sheltered suburbs.
According to the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, a Freeze Warning runs 11PM–9AM for much of MA and interior RI/CT, including Worcester County, Western Essex, the Merrimack Valley, and inland CT counties, with pockets down to 25–30°F. According to NWS Burlington, northern VT and NY’s North Country face a hard freeze 8PM–8AM; central and western VT communities from Rutland to the Upper Valley are included. NWS Gray (ME) highlights adjacent southern NH in a Freeze Warning 11PM–8AM, while NWS Caribou covers Downeast ME 12AM–8AM (spillover cold brushing northern NH/VT). Farther southwest, NWS Albany expects 25–30°F 11PM–9AM across the Berkshires, Capital District fringes, and the upper Hudson corridor feeding cooler air into western New England.
Impacts: widespread frost, ice on windshields, and potential damage to unprotected plumbing. Act now: bring potted plants inside, cover tender vegetation, disconnect hoses, wrap outdoor spigots, and consider a slow drip for vulnerable indoor lines in drafty homes. Early buses and commuters should watch shaded bridges and rural hollows for slick frost. School gardens and community farms may see season-ending cold.
Sun returns Friday, but highs stay cool. Another chilly night is possible before a gradual weekend warmup.
