By Thursday, Massachusetts residents can expect to feel temperatures in the mid-to-upper 20s in most of the state, with temperatures in the 30s on the coast, and on Cape Cod and the Islands, according to the National Weather Service.

Boston and the rest of New England have been dealing with well below-average temperatures, in some cases falling 20 degrees, as an expansive mass of Arctic air spreads across the eastern half of the United States. This cold surge is making our region this week feel colder than Anchorage, Alaska, which is topping out at 36 degrees.

Parts of New England saw a quick blast of snow overnight, dropping up to 4 inches of snow in some parts of New England. And it’s not quite over, as snow squalls are expected in the mid to late afternoon.

A cold front sweeping across the Northeast on Wednesday will make conditions ripe for snow squalls. These brief, intense bursts of snow can make travel conditions dangerous by dropping visibility and slickening roads in an instant.

The National Weather Service warns that snow squalls can be extremely hazardous because of their sudden onset.

The coldest temperature ever recorded was Feb. 9, 1934, when it fell to 17 degrees below zero, according to National Weather Service records, which go back to 1904. More: How much snow did Rhode Island get? See snowfall totals for Providence, Newport, Warwick

The heaviest snow will fall in the higher terrain of New England and the Appalachians. Some 5-10 inches of snow is possible in those areas. The bigger cities along Interstate 95 are more likely to see 2-6 inches with heavier totals to the north and west of downtown in each of the cities from DC to Boston.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Sacramento area until Sunday at 4 p.m., with wind gusts up to 55 mph and a 70% chance of rain, and the Placerville area expecting 4 to six inches of snow.

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These fast-hitting, intense blasts of snow and whipping winds can make for treacherous travel, especially on the highway.

The National Weather Service issued advisories for the Boston area, forecasting overnight snow that could reach 3 inches.