Such events distort the polar vortex, which causes Arctic air to descend into the U.S. and causes temperatures to plummet.

No rest for the winter weary after the first significant snow of the season fell in Massachusetts on Tuesday. The weather forecast shows an early-season Arctic blast is on the way to the Boston area. A cold front will pass through New England Thursday afternoon, ushering in the coldest air since last winter.

The brutal cold will continue with temperatures Monday night as much as 20 degrees below normal, forecasters say.

At 3:26 a.m. on Thursday, the NWS Blacksburg VA issued a winter weather advisory valid for Friday between midnight and 7 p.m. The advisory is for Surry, Stokes, Rockingham, Caswell, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

An updated winter weather advisory was released by the NWS Blacksburg VA on Friday at 6:40 p.m. in effect until Saturday at 8 a.m. The advisory is for Stokes, Rockingham and Caswell counties.

We've issued a First Alert Weather Day for Friday morning because the wind chill is downright dangerous. Early Friday, it will feel like the teens and even single digits thanks to biting wind chills. So, layers are your best friend.

A cold weather advisory was issued by the NWS San Francisco CA on Wednesday at 5:46 p.m. valid for Thursday between midnight and 8 a.m. for Southern Salinas Valley/Arroyo Seco and Lake San Antonio and Monterey County.

The two periods of light snow also will affect two different areas. The first snow shower burst will roll across northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula Friday night into Saturday morning. This snow should just be a very spotty light snow as it moves into southern Michigan. I would say it runs out of gas heading south.