Weather authorities have issued a warning that the New York City and metropolitan area will face the most dangerous cold wave of the year this weekend. Strong winds combined with low temperatures could lead to a wind chill of as low as minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 26 to minus 29 degrees Celsius), posing a serious threat to life and health. Mayor Mamdani of New York City held a press conference on the 6th, stating that the city government is expanding emergency response actions to prevent more people from succumbing to the cold.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), an Arctic cold front will move south on Saturday morning, bringing a brief snowfall followed by a rapid drop in temperatures. While Saturday morning temperatures will still be in the 20s Fahrenheit, they could drop to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit by evening, with Sunday morning lows potentially reaching 5 degrees.
What is even more concerning is that strong winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour will significantly decrease the wind chill factor. Meteorological experts warn that under these conditions, exposure to the outdoors for 15 to 30 minutes could lead to frostbite or hypothermia.
Mayor Mamdani mentioned during the press conference that in the past two weeks, 17 people have been found dead outdoors, with at least 13 cases preliminarily attributed to hypothermia, while some cases are suspected to involve drug overdoses.
To cope with the extreme cold expected over the weekend, the city government announced an expansion of heating and shelter resources. This includes the addition of approximately 65 hotel-style shelters for individuals who prefer not to enter large communal shelters; the operation of 62 heating centers and warming buses throughout the city; and the reopening of 10 public schools and two CUNY campuses as temporary warming spaces. Additionally, the city government is collaborating with the healthcare system to ensure that certain drug overdose prevention centers will be open 24 hours over the weekend.
Governor Hochu also issued a video message urging the public to be prepared: “Do you think it’s already cold? The coldest is yet to come. It has been a long time since we have experienced this level of cold.” She advised people to stay indoors as much as possible over the weekend and take effective measures to stay warm.
The city government reminds residents to pay attention to the conditions of neighbors and pets during the weekend, to dress in layers when going out, and to minimize exposed skin. If someone is found outdoors and appears unable to withstand the severe cold, please call 311 to report it. During the current “Code Blue” low-temperature emergency status, relevant reports will be directly transferred to 911 for immediate dispatch of emergency responders.
Weather authorities predict that temperatures will rise above freezing starting next Tuesday (10th), but they will still be lower than the average of nearly 40 degrees Fahrenheit at this time of year.