NYC Weather: Frostbite Fears As City Plunges Into Deep Freeze

NEW YORK — Savagely cold wind chills will freeze New Yorkers on Thursday as arctic air takes hold of the city. Wind chills across the tri-state region Thursday morning will be cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin in just half an hour, the National Weather Service warns.

Central Park was expected to feel like 10 below zero around 9 a.m. amid the morning rush hour, according to the forecast. Subzero wind chill values there will persist into the early afternoon as the temperature climbs into the teens, the weather service says. The city will be under a wind chill advisory until 10 a.m.

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The mercury will only reach a high near 16 in the park and the wind chill there won't let the air feel warmer than 3 degrees all day, according to the weather service.

The brutal cold set in Wednesday night after a brief snow squall created whiteout conditions in the city. The mercury in Central Park sank to a low of just 2 degrees around 6 a.m. Thursday, nearing the record low of minus 1 for Jan. 31.

Show Patch Your Best Photos From The Deep Freeze

There's hope ahead for the weekend — temperatures will rise into the 20s on Friday before getting into the 30s on Saturday and reaching a balmy high near 41 on Sunday, the weather service says.

Here's a closer look at the frigid forecast, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Thursday
Sunny and cold, with a high near 16. Wind chill values between -5 and -15. West wind 11 to 13 mph.

Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a steady temperature around 14. Wind chill values between zero and 5. West wind 7 to 11 mph.

Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 22. Wind chill values between zero and 10. West wind 6 to 8 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 16. Wind chill values between 10 and 15. West wind around 6 mph.

Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 6 to 13 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 29.

Sunday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 41.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

(Lead image: People walk through the snow in lower Manhattan on Jan. 30, 2019 in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)