NYC Weather Forecast: 'High Wind Warning' in Effect Thursday Night

UPDATE, Friday: It's totally going to snow tonight. All further forecast updates here.

NEW YORK, NY — A "high wind warning" has been issued for Thursday night until 6 a.m. Friday morning by the National Weather Service (NWS), in connection to an ongoing "arctic cold front" passing through the region. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph — and gusts up to 60 mph — can be expected during this time.

"Damaging winds may blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult," the NWS warned.

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“New York City is expecting the coldest temperatures and lowest wind chills of the season on Thursday and Friday,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito warned Wednesday. (Here are some tips from the city for surviving the cold.)

Thursday night's low temperature could drop to just 14 degrees, forecasters said, and "wind chills will fall below zero to about minus 10" well into Friday morning.

Although the "heart of arctic airmass moves offshore on Friday," the NWS said, "very cold conditions persist."

The winter's first real snow is expected to arrive Friday night into Saturday morning, when temps in the low 20s and a high chance of prolonged precipitation will likely make for "a light and powdery accumulating snow."

"The snow can come down hard at first, which could quickly cover roads, highways and sidewalks in the major cities from the I-99 and I-81 corridors to the I-95 cities of Philadelphia, New York City and Boston with this storm," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity.

Image via AccuWeather

Two to 3 inches of snow could build up in NYC before noon Saturday, the NWS said.

However, any built-up snow will likely be washed away by rain as temps rise back into the 40s Saturday afternoon.

Note: We’ll be updating this post as weather predictions change, so check back. Or sign up here to receive email updates from your neighborhood Patch site.

Lead image via gt8073a/Flickr