It has been a long stretch since we have dealt with truly deep cold, but that is what has come our way for Friday. Yes, it is December, but in early December we normally have morning temperatures staying above freezing in Philadelphia and high temperatures in the upper 40s. Not this time, Friday wil l be an exceptionally cold day. The culprit is a cold front that moves through Thursday, and even though temperatures will make it into the low 40s Thursday afternoon, the gusty winds brought by the front will knock the feels-like temperature (the wind chill) down into the lower 30s. Then, as winds diminish overnight and very dry air settles in, temperatures will be able to drop quickly, setting us up for a frigid Friday morning, the coldest weather we have seen in nine months! The last time we had morning lows in the 20s in Philadelphia was at the very beginning of March. By Friday morning, many of the Pennsylvania suburbs will wake up to temperatures in the teens, and the rest of the region will start the day in the very low 20s.This is a strong push of cold, but not record-breaking cold. For Philadelphia, the forecast low Friday morning is 22°, which is more than ten degrees below average. The record for December 5 is 13 degrees from 1886, so thankfully we will not be anywhere near that, but it will be cold nonetheless. Since it has been a while, this is a good time to review some simple cold weather tips. Layer up. Those extra layers help your body hold onto heat. Cover your face and any exposed skin, especially early in the morning. Winds will not be as strong as Thursday, but even a light breeze can make it feel even colder. And if you are heading out on the road, toss an extra layer and a snack in the car just in case. The cold hangs on all day Friday. We top out around 32 with mostly cloudy skies, so without much sunshine, it is going to feel like a classic winter day from start to finish. The weekend brings some improvement. Skies will turn partly sunny and we will climb back into the low 40s Saturday and Sunday, still on the chilly side for early December but a noticeable step up from Friday. Another blast of cold arrives on Monday, so enjoy the brief break while we have it. Get the latest weather updates by downloading the NBC10 app and following the NBC10 First Alert Weather team. ...read more read less