NYC Set to Break Cold Record – Set Back in 1896

The polar vortex, a fast-moving whirlpool of frigid air, has already sent much of the Midwest into a tizzy of some 50 degrees below zero temperature, and is now heading to turn New York into an ice box.

Temperatures in New York City, which on Monday were about 50 degrees, will plunge to the single digits Tuesday morning. By daybreak, it will dip to as low as 5 degrees, but the wind chill will make it feel like minus 15 or colder.

That would break the record of 6 — which was set back in 1896, before New York was even incorporated as a city. (That was to come two years later.)

At temperatures colder than 15 below, frostbite and hypothermia can quickly set in. Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to remain indoors, and dress warmly, exposing as little flesh as possible if someone has to go outdoors.

According to AccuWeather, the city will warm up slightly following daybreak — with an emphasis on slightly. It will be sunny but freezing throughout the day, with the thermometer topping off at about 13 degrees by the end of the day. Wednesday will be a little warmer, in the mid-20s.

While some scientists have said that the earth is gradually warming, much of the country has not been this cold for nearly two decades.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the January 7th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.