Dangerous Cold and Major Snow Expected This Weekend in the Berkshires

The coldest air of the winter season is set to slam the Berkshires Friday night, followed by a potentially significant snowstorm Sunday into Monday. The cold is already affecting some Berkshire County residents on Wednesday by way of a natural gas outage.

From Berkshire Gas: Due to severe cold conditions, some customers in a part of Pittsfield may be experiencing an outage. Crews are working to restore customers as quickly and safely as possible, and we estimate all outages to be restored by approximately 3 pm today.

An Arctic front arrives Friday evening, sending temperatures plummeting into the single digits by midnight. Saturday morning will be brutally cold, with highs struggling to reach the mid-teens and wind chills between -10°F and -20°F in higher terrain areas. The National Weather Service warns Extreme Cold Warnings are likely for the Berkshires.

As if the dangerous cold wasn't enough, a major winter storm developing to the south is increasingly likely to impact the region Sunday through Monday. Forecast models have been trending northward over the past 24 hours, putting Southern New England in the "jackpot zone" for heavy snow.

Snow forecast for The Berkshires

While it's still four days out and details remain uncertain, meteorologists say 7-14 inches of snowfall is likely across the Berkshires. The storm will form along a frontal boundary as it passes off the eastern seaboard, coinciding with the Arctic air mass already in place.

Sunday: 5-8 inches of snow

Sunday night: 1-3 inches of snow

Monday 1-3 inches of snow

Residents should prepare now for dangerous wind chills Saturday and potential travel impacts Sunday into Monday. Avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure Saturday morning, and consider postponing weekend travel plans.

The combination of extreme cold and a major snowstorm makes this a particularly dangerous weather weekend.