While several inches of snow will fall in our area today, it’s the bitter cold that’s to follow that figures to be of greater concern.

A cold front coming through is expected to bring between 2 to 4 inches of snow into the early evening, according to Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.

Kines said that while today will reach the low 30s, later this evening is when temperatures will begin to plummet.

“Temps really start to fall tonight and will end up in the lower teens by sunrise tomorrow,” Kines said. “Tomorrow will be a blustery cold day.”

Kines said there may be snow showers around Wednesday morning that could bring another inch of snow, with highs in the low 20s at best.

From there, he said the temperature Wednesday night will fall down below zero, with highs on Thursday only to reach the lower teens.

“When you’re throwing in the wind, it’s going to feel a lot colder out there,” he said, adding that Wednesday night will feel more like minus 15 to minus 20 degrees.

With temperatures so bone-numbing, Kines cautioned against being outdoors.

“If you’ve got to be outside tomorrow night and Thursday, you got to keep your body covered up; your hands, ears and nose, they can get frostbite just as easily as any part of the body, wear a scarf, a hat,” he said. “If you have to be outside during that time frame when temperatures are at their lowest, it’s best to dress in layers of clothing. If you dress in layers, the air between those layers will be warmed by your body, and that kind of acts as insulation and protects you from the cold.”

As for travel conditions today, Kines said “any salt on the road, it’s going to be doing it’s job today.”

“There could be slick spots, but I’m going to bet a lot of the main roads are going to be just wet,” he said. “I think later on tonight or tomorrow morning when we get snow showers, that may cause more slick spots because at that time temperatures are getting down into the teens, and the salt is less effective.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is advising motorists to closely monitor weather forecasts and conditions as a storm system is anticipated to impact most of the state, with many areas expected to see precipitation during today’s rush hour.

“While many parts of the state may not see significant accumulations, it is critical to always be mindful of conditions and keep safety top of mind when driving in inclement weather,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said. “Our crews are prepared to take on these conditions, and we call on the public to allow themselves extra time, drive according to conditions, and postpone travel if necessary.”

Overall, Kines said the snow that falls actually figures to take a back seat to the cold.

“I suspect that the cold is going to be a bigger deal than the snow today,” he said. “It could be worse; we’re not getting the brunt of this arctic air.”

That’s a stark contract to the Midwest, where Kines said their daytime highs are in the minus teens.

“If you want a silver lining, we’re getting off pretty lucky,” he said. “It’s life threatening out there (in the Midwest).”

Still not satisfied?

“This cold isn’t going to last forever,” Kines said. “By the weekend, we’re going to see temperatures back up well into the 30s.”