Killing Frost Alert Across MA Ahead Of Weekend Warmup

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts residents who have felt the chill in recent mornings are advised to bring in any vulnerable plants from the outside and exposed porches on Wednesday night for what is forecast to be the coldest night of the season thus far.

While some valleys and interior parts of the state have already experienced some frosty sunrises over the past couple of mornings, Wednesday night into Thursday morning poses the biggest threat for a killing freeze well below 32 degrees.

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The National Weather Service has a forecast low of 39 in Boston but many of the suburbs will be much colder with temperatures reaching down into the 20s. Those lows pose a danger to the flowers and plants that were hardy enough to weather the lows in the 30s in the past few days.

The good news? Temperatures dropping into the mid to upper 20s are often cold enough to start killing off those pesky mosquitos and other insects that have driven an outbreak of West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis across New England this fall.

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The better news for those adverse to the oncoming wintry season? Temperatures are forecast to rebound to highs more reminiscent of Labor Day than Thanksgiving this weekend with a high of 60 degrees on Friday, 67 degrees on Saturday and 71 degrees on Sunday, according to the NWS.

The warmup should have staying power as well with high temperatures expected to run in the low to middle 70s through at least next Wednesday.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)