The Tri-State Area is gearing up for a challenging weekend as a winter storm threatens New York and New Jersey. Following extremely cold temperatures on Wednesday morning, residents can expect a brief respite on Thursday with temperatures rising into the 40s. However, conditions are set to turn frigid once again as the weekend approaches, with both Saturday and Sunday declared First Alert Weather Days.
Forecasts indicate that New York City could see over 6 inches of snow, with varying predictions from two major weather models. The European model suggests a significant accumulation of 13.9 inches, while the American model estimates around 9.4 inches by Monday morning. Snow is anticipated to begin late Saturday night according to the European model, while the GFS predicts it will start in the early hours of Sunday.
Historically, Central Park has not seen more than 6 inches of snow since January 2022, when 8.3 inches blanketed the area. The last instance of over a foot of snowfall occurred in early February 2021, leading to a total of 17.4 inches.
Meteorologists are also closely monitoring the potential for mixing precipitation, which could reduce snow totals, especially south of the city. The exact details of the storm will become clearer as the weekend approaches.
The First Alert Weather Team is confident that an arctic airmass will engulf the Northeast on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in consistently low temperatures. Expect morning wind chills to plummet between –20 and 0 degrees on Saturday, with afternoon highs struggling to reach the teens. Sunday will also see frigid conditions, with wind chills lingering in the single digits.
As the storm progresses, it is anticipated to conclude between Sunday night and Monday morning, potentially disrupting Monday’s commute.
While Wednesday brought biting cold with wind chills between –10 and 15 degrees, Thursday serves as a relative warm-up day with partly sunny skies, although it won’t last long as colder air returns on Friday, bringing highs down into the 30s and wind chills remaining in the 20s and teens.
This upcoming winter storm reminds residents to prepare for harsh conditions and to remain attentive to changing weather forecasts.