The cold stays through the weekend, snow arrives Friday

Cold temperatures continue to grip the Northeast through the weekend. At the same time, a storm system is sweeping east with its sights set on the open ocean.

That means we'll mostly sit on the sidelines for this event. I said mostly because there are still some nuances to the forecast, not the least of which is where the ocean effect bands set up.

Snowfall totals map for Mass.

Given the wind's trajectory – from the north/northeast and eventually due north – we're seeing the best chance for accumulation on the South Shore and Cape Cod for this event. Amounts are tricky, but a general 1 to 4 inches with a focus for 3 to 4 along and east of Route 3.

Temperatures should be cold enough to support snow right to the water's edge. Elsewhere, periodic light snow and flurries could accumulate to a coating to an inch.

Speaking of cold, it pours in through Saturday and chases away the last bits of snow in the morning. Sun should poke out in the afternoon, but the bitter winds will make for wind chills in the single digits above and below zero.

This will be some of the coldest air of the season pouring down on us into Sunday morning. Thankfully, the winds will ease on Sunday and temperatures will continue to recover into Monday.

There's a big turn in the pattern next week that will send the cold packing and bring back the 40s or even 50s. It's a long way back, but confidence is running high on the warmup.