NYC Weather: Sub-Freezing Lows To Follow Strange Warmth

NEW YORK — The cold is making a comeback. Temperatures are set to drop sharply in New York City this week after two days of unusual warmth, the National Weather Service says.

The mercury will reach a high near 57 degrees on a mostly sunny Monday, similar to the 56-degree high recorded in Central Park on a rainy Sunday, according to the weather service. That's well above the normal levels in the upper 40s for early December.

But New Yorkers should have their parkas ready as temperatures will take a nosedive for the rest of the week, dropping to a high near 40 on Tuesday with wind chills making it feel more like 25 to 30 degrees, the weather service says. A sub-freezing low around 29 will hit that night, according to the forecast.

The chilliest weather will come Saturday, when there's an expected high near just 35 degrees, the forecast shows. But at least sunshine is expected to accompany the cold during the day.

The chill will follow a weekend rainstorm that dropped nearly an inch of rain on John F. Kennedy Airport, according to the weather service.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the weather this week, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. West wind 14 to 16 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Northwest wind 13 to 15 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 40. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph.

Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 35.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39.

(Lead image: People walk through a frigid Manhattan in December 2017. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)