New York City faces freezing temperatures before Winter Storm Fern arrives

New York City Faces Frigid Temperatures as Winter Storm Approaches

This past Saturday, New Yorkers encountered bitterly cold temperatures as Winter Storm Fern made its way across the country. In Central Park, the thermometer read around 9 to 10 degrees, though the strong winds created an even more chilling effect.

According to AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny, the temperature was expected to hit its lowest point of the day around 8 a.m., with readings near -8 to -9 degrees. That’s pretty frigid, right?

On top of that, winds were predicted to blow at speeds of 7 to 14 mph, with some gusts possibly reaching 20 mph. As the day went on, temperatures might rise a bit, bringing the perceived temperature into the single digits. A slight relief, perhaps.

The forecast for Saturday suggested that high temperatures could reach about 19 degrees, with clouds gathering overhead in anticipation of a significant snowfall. The storm was expected to start as early as 3 a.m. and continue through Sunday, tapering off by noon on Monday.

There’s some uncertainty around the snowfall. Officials have warned of up to 14 inches blanketing the city, but Glenny noted that the actual accumulation could vary. If there’s more snow than sleet mixed in, the city could indeed see closer to a foot. The National Weather Service backs this up, predicting heavy snowfall across the metropolitan area.

Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in advance of the impending storm, highlighting the city’s proactive stance in handling adverse weather. The Sanitation Department had already begun treating roads on Friday to prepare for what was coming.

In addition, Mayor Mamdani activated a Code Blue alert, typically instituted in anticipation of extremely low temperatures, and eased capacity limits at homeless shelters—to make sure no one would have to spend the night outside.

If New York does indeed receive a foot or more of snow, it would mark the largest snowfall since February 2021, when Central Park recorded a whopping 16.8 inches. That’s quite the benchmark.