Hazardous Weather: Temps To Crash, Then Climb In The Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A small lobe of the polar vortex pivoting southeastward will turn already cold temperatures into dangerous winter weather — special notices have been issued for Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties by the National Weather Service — but just on Friday and Saturday.

"While it will be cold, it will also be a short-lived reminder that we are in fact in winter," said Alex Marra of Hudson Valley Weather.

Wednesday and Thursday will be in the mid-30s during the day; however, temps will start dropping Thursday afternoon and just keep plummeting until dawn Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued Wind chill watches for Dutchess and Ulster counties for late Thursday night through Saturday afternoon. Dangerously cold wind chills are possible: as low as 25 to 40 below zero. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

A hazardous weather outlook has been issued for Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties: Wind chills values may fall to as low as 10 to 20 below zero for coastal locations, and 25 below in the interior.

Be smart when you go outside. Areas most prone to frostbite are uncovered skin and the extremities, such as hands and feet. Hypothermia is another threat during extreme cold. Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce.

Then it will all change. By Sunday, temperatures should hit the 40s.

"As an Alberta clipper storm travels across southern Canada, the wind direction will shift from the northwest to the southwest by Sunday afternoon, and temperatures will rebound," said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, who pointed out that the month of January produced temperatures of 5-15 degrees above average across the region.

Here's the 5-day forecast from the NWS, based on Putnam County:

• Wednesday - Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Tonight - Mostly clear. Lows around 16. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Thursday - Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Thursday Night - Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph, becoming west after midnight. Gusts up to 30 mph.
• Friday - Sunny, blustery, cold with highs in the lower 20s. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Wind chill values as low as 8 below in the afternoon.
• Friday Night - Mostly clear and brisk. Much colder with lows around zero. Wind chill values as low as 25 below.
• Saturday - Sunny, cold with highs around 20. Wind chill values as low as 25 below in the morning.
• Saturday Night - Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming cloudy. Not as cool with lows around 15.
• Sunday - Cloudy. Not as cool with highs in the lower 40s.
• Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy. Not as cool with lows around 30.