A Climatologist from the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University says Central New York’s biggest concern from the Nor’easter will likely be dangerously cold wind chills. That could also mean breaking a few temperature records.
After a brief break of the really cold temperatures, we’re about to get even colder. Jessica Spaccio says the coldest temperature changes will occur Thursday night through Sunday morning.
"As the storm pulls out and moves away, on the back side of this, it's dry and it's really cold arctic air. We'll see temperatures fall even lower than we've seen, potentially the coldest temperatures of the season so far. We're expected to see very cold wind chills, as well.”
She adds that most areas will have temperatures in the single digits and won’t be much warmer for daytime highs on Friday.
"It's really important to bundle up, and have as little exposed skin as possible. Limit your time outside. Also think about pets. Another concern is pipes bursting."
Spaccio thinks that we should easily shatter the coldest day on record for January 5th of ten above set in 1905. We also might break Saturday’s record of 2 above. She says frostbite will be able to occur in about ten minutes to exposed areas of the skin. Our winter climate was much different last January.
"On the 4th, Syracuse was 40 degrees. The high for the month was 54 on the 12th."
Snowfall rates are expected to be much higher downstate. However, Governor Cuomo says fleets of equipment can be directed Upstate, if conditions change.
