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Seeking some cold comfort
 Eileen Buckley, Attleboro, walks up North Main St., in Attleboro dressed for the cold. Temperatures warmed only into the teens on Friday but a warming trend is on the way, forecasters say. (Staff photo by MIKE GEORGE)
Top Headlines Just ask Mansfield Fire Lt. Bob Merrit, who is accustomed to working under some of the most brutal conditions. He wouldn't have been shivering outside the Attleboro Stop & Shop on the coldest day so far this winter, except he really needed the groceries. "Terrible," Merrit said, as he hefted the supermarket bags as quickly as possible into his van. "You can't do anything outside. I'm happy I'm not working today." Attleboro residents emerged from their toasty homes about 7 a.m., only to be slapped with a 3-degree morning. The temperature, and northwest gusts up to 30 mph, made it feel like minus-15 degrees in some parts of Southern New England. Temperatures only got to a high of 16 degrees by 1 p.m., according to the Attleboro Water Department. That was the lowest high temperature for any day this winter so far. More than a few unlucky commuters found they were going nowhere fast. "Today has been the busiest day we've seen so far this winter," said John Paul, AAA Southern New England's "Car Doctor." The auto club had received almost 4,000 calls for road service by 2 p.m. - "typically what we would do in a 24-hour day," Paul said. About 1,000 of those calls came between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Poor auto maintenance was a contributing factor, Paul said. "Even when temperatures get as cold as they are, a well-maintained car should start today," he said. Whatever the cause, Friday was a mini-bonanza for mechanics and tow truck operators. Achin's Garage in North Attleboro assisted "a lot of cars that can't get started in the driveway," owner Donnie Achin said. The good news is the temperature should climb to a relatively balmy 29 degrees today, and surge to 35 degrees on Sunday - about normal for this time of year. Bill Simpson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, concedes some people might have been shocked back to reality on frigid Friday because they've been knocked off balance by this freaky winter. "We're so used to the warm weather," he said. Simpson couldn't help but be a little bemused at all the hype surrounding the one-day plunge in temperature. "This is January; these kinds of things are near normal," he said. MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0372 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.
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