In the grand scheme of things, Massachusetts has had a pretty mild winter so far. Sure, we have had a couple of snowstorms here and there but it's been few and far between and below average for this time of year. On the temperature front, Massachusetts has been pretty decent as we haven't really experienced bitterly cold temperatures...yet. I say "yet" because that is about to change very soon.

Massachusetts Can Expect Bitterly Cold Temperatures Within the Next Few Days

The middle to end of this week is going to cool way down for Massachusetts and New England residents. Starting tonight (Jan. 31) the low will be hovering right around 10 degrees. We'll see highs between 30 and 35 for the next couple of days but come Friday, the high is going to fall to right around 13 degrees with Saturday's high falling into the lower single digits. As you can imagine Friday and Saturday are going to have some bitterly cold low temperatures at night. Friday night will be around -15 and Saturday will be around -3. Luckily by Sunday, we will be back to some normal temperatures, basically what we have been experiencing for the past couple of days or so.

Massachusetts Residents May Want to Check Out Their Vehicles Before the Frigid Temperatures Arrive

With the chilly temperatures coming to Massachusetts, it may be a good idea to check out your car. Make sure it's running and that the fluids are at the correct levels. Also, make sure you have the proper pressure in your tires as tire pressure has been known to fluctuate quite a bit when temperatures are jumping around especially when they are hitting those frigid numbers. Also, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of gas in your car and it wouldn't hurt to dump a container of dry gas (HEET fuel additive) in your tank. By doing so you can keep your fuel lines from freezing.

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Regarding the fuel additive, it's actually recommended that you fill your tank with the substance throughout the winter, not just on bitterly cold days. According to Blain's Farm and Fleet, this is when you should be using a fuel additive for your vehicle:

Many mechanics recommend that you pour a bottle of Heet into your fuel tank every time you fill up during the winter months. This is the best practice when it is consistently below twenty degrees. However, if temperatures are closer to thirty, you may only need to use it once every two or three fill-ups.

Remember prevention is key. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order prior to the arrival of the frigid temperatures. If you are unable or uncomfortable doing this yourself, you can always have a mechanic check everything out and do a once over so you'll be good to go when the deep freeze arrives.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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