MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Several Massachusetts counties were under weather advisories or watches Thursday as bitter cold weather embraced the region and temperatures plummeted, with snow falling in some areas of Cape Cod and the South Coast.

Forecast | Closings | Interactive Radar Get Wx Alerts | Weathering Winter

Winter-hardened Northeasterners were socked with the same subzero temperatures and biting winds that have turned the Northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes into a teeth-chattering misery for much of the week.

In Boston, residents hunkered down, most wearing multiple layers of hats, coats and scarves.

"I hate cold. I hate the cold," said Annette Richardson, who dressed carefully, despite the fact that she has an indoor job.

"Undershirt. T-Shirt. Uh, cable knit sweater, a scarf. I have my hair tied up, and then this hat," she said as she made her way down the aptly-named Winter Street in Downtown Crossing.

Trash collector Joel Dubois said he actually prefers the cold to summer's heat, but it does make him move a lot faster.

"When I get out of the truck I have to hurry up, do my work, get back in, because it is very brutal out here," he said.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the city was taking steps to ensure the safety of residents during the cold snap.

"Boston will be experiencing bitterly cold weather and residents need to take precautions to protect themselves and their neighbors against such cold weather,” Mayor Menino said. “As a city, we must work together to ensure the safety of all our residents, especially our elderly, disabled, and homeless."

He said school had not been canceled, but parents were advised to make sure their children were dressed warmly to avoid frostbite, particularly if they wait outdoors for school buses.

Maine residents braced Thursday for readings down to 40 below zero while in the Midwest, Iowans were warned that temperatures could drop as far as 27 below zero, matching a Jan. 15 record set in 1972.

The deep freeze was part of a snow and arctic system that stretched from Montana to northern New England and dipped as far south as North Carolina.

Temperatures in the Boston area Thursday were expected to be very cold with a brisk wind as low pressure passes to the south of the region and eventually off to the east of Nantucket.

Snow will fall mostly to the south of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The snow should come to an end during the late afternoon, with accumulations ranging generally between 2-4 inches.

"We have people slipping, falling, we have people covered with ice. It saps your strength, the cold, over time." - Lynn District Fire Chief Bob Bourgeois.

Cape Cod and the islands will see snow continuing into this evening. Afternoon highs will range from around 10 degrees to the lower 20s.

Low pressure moves off to the east Thursday evening and skies will clear. Temperatures will fall overnight and winds will increase out of the northwest.

Lows will range from around 10 below zero over southwest New Hampshire to around 5 above across Cape Cod.

A quick moving clipper will bring a light snowfall to much of southern New England Thursday, then very cold conditions will persist into Saturday.

Another storm will likely affect the region late Saturday night and Sunday, with periods of snow which could linger into Monday.

Forecasters issued lake-effect snow warnings Thursday for Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Wind chill warnings were posted for those states as well as Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Minneapolis.

The intense cold made fighting a fire in Lynn, Mass., difficult Wednesday and firefighters worked with National Grid and demolition crews to knock down the burnt-out building on Chestnut Street after the blaze destroyed two buildings.

Fires kept popping up all evening in the units, forcing firefighters to brave freezing temps and ice

"You're not just walking around. You have to walk gingerly. We have people slipping, falling, we have people covered with ice. It saps your strength, the cold, over time," said Lynn District Fire Chief Bob Bourgeois.

The fire left 20 people homeless.

The mercury hovering around zero Wednesday didn't faze truck driver Gary Jacobs, 49, of Barre, Vt., bundled in five layers -- T-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, sweat shirt, hooded sweat shirt and coat, in addition to snowpants, boots and a knit cap.

"People in Arizona say `It's a dry heat.' This is a fresh cold," Jacobs said.

In New York, where light snow fell overnight and lows Thursday near Albany were expected to be around minus 10, the frigid conditions caused complications for highway managers because road salt doesn't melt ice in subzero temperatures.

"Once we get into minus 10, minus 20, in some cases we have to go to just straight sand, a light dusting of sand, on the highway to get some grit, provide some traction," said Mike Flick of the state Transportation Department in Pamelia.

Even northern Georgia and Kentucky could see single-digit lows by Friday, with zero possible at Lexington, Ky., the weather service warned. Kentucky hasn't been that cold since December 2004.

Vermont's Bolton Valley ski resort canceled night skiing through Friday night for fear that skiers could freeze if they were marooned on a malfunctioning ski lift.