It may be time to check in on your friends and family in New England as an “epic, generational” arctic blast approaches the region this weekend.
“-30° temperatures in Northern Maine Saturday morning will make it one of the coldest locations on the planet,” tweeted NBC climate reporter Bill Karins.
Temperatures like that combine with high-speed winds to create a wind chill that will make it feel even colder — down to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in New Hampshire and Vermont and minus 100 on Mount Washington, CNN reports.
The National Weather Service office in Caribou, Maine, said that kind of cold can lead to frostbite in five minutes, per The Washington Post.
In most of the Northeast, it will be coldest Friday night through Saturday morning. Over 15 million people are under wind chill advisory in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Maine is likely to face the worst of the storm, the National Weather Service said, and it is likely to hit the Midwest as well.
What are the major responses?
The National Weather Service has advised people in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont to “avoid outside activities” and to wear a hat and gloves if they do go outside.
Maine and New Hampshire residents are also encouraged to stay indoors, with recommendations to “make frequent checks on older family, friends and neighbors.”
Public school classes are canceled in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. Most states have warming centers available.
The wind chill warnings are expected to be lifted on Saturday — 10 a.m. EST in some states and 1 p.m. EST in others — and temperatures are likely to start rising on Sunday.