By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Frigid temperatures, driven downward by gusts expected to unleash wind-chill values as low as minus-25 degrees overnight Friday, will grip the region through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Westport and the rest of southwestern Connecticut have “basked” in unwinter-like conditions since the season officially started last month — unusually mild temperatures sometimes rising as high as the 50s and nary a snowflake that survived more than a minute or two.

But the next several days will shock the area back to reality.

While Thursday’s daytime high temperature is expected to crest at about 40 degrees, the downward slide starts overnight with the Fahrenheit hitting a low of about 20 degrees.

On Friday, as winds gusting as high as 35 mph buffet the region, the temperature will struggle to reach about 25 degrees despite sunny skies, according to the forecast.

From Friday evening to Saturday morning, however, the weather service says things will turn hazardous.

The NWS has issued a “Wind Chill Advisory,” from 5 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, forecasting temperatures will plunge into the single digits and wind gusts clocking up to 40 mph will trigger wind-chill values perhaps as low as minus-25 degrees.

Daytime highs are expected to reach only the mid-20s Saturday, according to the forecast, but things should change sharply Sunday, with the Fahrenheit rebounding to a high in the mid-40s.

Emergency info, Westport warming centers

During the period of brutal cold weather, Gov. Ned Lamont has activated the state’s “Severe Cold Weather Protocol,” and anyone who needs shelter is advised to call 2-1-1.

And, according to Westport’s Department of Human Services, several warming centers will be available during the cold snap. They include:

• Westport Center for Senior Activities, 21 Imperial Ave.; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 
• Westport Museum for History and Culture: 25 Avery Place; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 
• Westport-Weston Family YMCA, 14 Allen Raymond Lane; 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.    
• MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike; noon-7 p.m. Thursday, noon-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
• Westport residents facing hardships because of the cold weather should contact the Human Services Department at 203-341-1050 during office hours of 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• A list of emergency contact information for Westport, assembled by the local Emergency Management Team, can be found here.
• Power outages can be reported online at Eversource.com or by calling 800-286-2000. Customers who signed up for the power company’s two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen.

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.