Another blast of arctic air, snow on the way

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The next blast of arctic air will be even colder, and will bring another round of snow.

“The cold air just keeps coming,” Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist Eric Elwell said. “Even while we deal with the current outbreak of arctic air, more is building near the North Pole and it is forecast to head south this weekend.”

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Temperatures across the region have not been this low in nearly three years. Dayton started out Wednesday morning 2 degrees below zero. The last time it was that cold was on Feb. 24, 2015.

While temperatures will moderate some by the end of the week, it won’t last long.

Light snow is expected to spread into the Miami Valley on Friday after dark and linger into the start of the weekend.

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“While it is not expected to be a major winter storm,” Elwell said, “we could get an inch or two of snow ... due to the higher liquid to snow ratio.”

In other words, it doesn't take as much moisture for the snow to fluff up when temperatures are so low, Elwell said.

Some flurries may even linger into New Year's Eve day.

>> 63 inches of snow has fallen since Christmas Eve in Erie, Pa.

Our Storm Center 7 team of meteorologists will be working through this week to pinpoint the timing and amounts of this next storm. If you have big plans on New Year's Eve, be prepared to bundle up. The fresh batch of bone-chilling cold will have arrived and temperatures likely will be in the single digits as the clock strikes midnight.

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“Wind chills will likely be as cold as 5 to 10 degrees below zero,” Elwell said, likely making it the coldest New Year's Eve since at least 2002.

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