Massachusetts Getting a Dose of Arctic Weather
Much of the U.S. has been experiencing cold temperatures to kick off 2025, and Massachusetts is getting a bit of that trend, too. Of course, in the winter months, the temperatures always dip, but this winter is unique in that it’s been just so frigidly cold throughout much of the country, even in areas that aren’t used to getting hit with winter weather. It comes as a surprise, too, because November was quite mild throughout the country. Then, December started to get colder, and now, the U.S. is finding itself in the midst of an arctic blast. Now, Massachusetts is gearing up for cold air to move into the area, and this could be the coldest period of the season.
Colder Air Coming to Massachusetts
This winter’s temperatures have already been brutally cold the past few weeks, and that trend is looking to continue and even dip more. For the state, the 10-day weather forecast from the Weather Channel, which gives an overview of the state’s weather, projects lows in the single digits in Boston, Massachusetts, by Tuesday, January 21. The cold trend really ramps up starting Monday, January 20, with lows around 10, followed by the single digits. Things get a little better by next Thursday, when lows come back into the 20s. Highs are only expected to be in the 20s and teens next week, as well. So, it’s going to be very cold for the area.
So, why is the U.S. getting all these frigid temperatures, which are even more frigid than normal, and record-breaking winds? It’s all in the weather pattern. The 2024-25 winter season is having a La Niña weather pattern, which brings much colder temperatures and more snowfall. According to the National Weather Service, a La Niña season “refers to the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific.”
Of course, last winter wasn’t quite like this when it came to cold temperatures. Last winter, for much of the U.S., the weather was very mild and even warm. The 2023-24 winter season was warmer than normal because of its El Niño weather pattern, which according to the National Weather Service refers to “above-average sea-surface temperatures that periodically develop across the east-central equatorial Pacific,” and “it represents the warm phase of the ENSO cycle.” As someone who loves warm weather, I’d be happy to have an El Niño weather pattern every winter, but that just doesn’t happen.
