The coldest air of the season swept into the region Saturday, with arctic air swooping in from Canada and strong winds adding dangerous wind chills of -20 in some parts of the region, forecasters said.
While the mercury in New York City was expected to hit about 20 degrees, the wind chills will be dangerous — with “real feel” temperatures in the five boroughs alone reaching between -5 and -10, and parts of upstate even colder, meteorologists said
In those conditions, hypothermia can happen in just minutes. The Big Apple’s deep freeze death toll has already reached 17 this winter, with historic cold keeping an extended grip on the area and the city’s Medical Examiner determining at least five of those deaths were related to the weather.
“The deep freeze is returning to the northeastern United States this weekend,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. “The combination of Arctic air and gusty winds could make it feel colder than any other point so far this winter for many in the region.”
While some flakes fell Saturday morning, wind was the driving factor for life-threatening conditions, according to experts.
“If you’re not well protected, if you’re out there for more than half an hour, you’re going to be in trouble with frostbite and hypothermia,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines.
The arctic blast swooped over a huge chunk of the northeast and stretched from the Empire state as far south as Washington, DC, according to Accuweather.
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