Wind chill advisory issued for Worcester County, all of Western Massachusetts

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory for Worcester County, Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, from approximately 1 a.m. until Noon Sunday.

Massachusetts residents from Worcester westward to the New York border better bundle up on Sunday, as the National Weather Service is warning that strong winds blowing bitter air will combine with already frigid temperatures to make for potentially dangerous conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory for Worcester County, Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, from approximately 1 a.m. until Noon Sunday.

Visit CBS 3 Springfield's weather page for the full forecast and more from meteorologists Nick Morganelli and Mike Skurko.  

According to Nick Morganelli, a meteorologist with CBS 3 Springfield, a burst of arctic air permeating the region early Sunday will bring a round of snow showers later in the evening. The high of 20 degrees and the low of 14 degrees will feel colder as blowing air contributes to potentially dangerous wind chill levels.

An advisory is issued when the wind chill index – a calculation that describes the combined effect of the wind and cold temperatures on exposed skin – is predicted to reach minus 15 to minus 24 degrees for at least three hours. Without proper protection from the cold under such conditions, frostbite and hypothermia can set in quickly.

For the remainder of the afternoon and evening Saturday, accumulation of at least one inch of snow is anticipated with 15-30 mile-per-hour gusts bringing 10 degree wind chills. Additional accumulations are expected in higher elevations, according to Morganelli.