As we come out of 2023, which was officially named the hottest year on record, we were wondering if it was time to break out our bikinis! Okay okay, it wasn’t that warm, but even NYE weekend brought with it temperatures 10-13°F higher than normal and forecasters predict Punxsutawney Phil, our beloved spring-seeking groundhog, will not see his shadow this year, meaning an early spring.
However, the weather lately has been a different story.
This past weekend, NYC finally broke its 2+ year snowless streak, and nearly every state across the country was put under winter weather advisories and warnings.
But, even crazier than that, NYC was colder than Antarctica!
Okay, now we know Antarctica is currently in its summer season, but Antarctic Peninsula temperature averages 33-36°F in the summer, so that’s still pretty cold!
On Monday morning, January 15th, temperatures at two of Antarctica’s three stations showed temperatures of 30°F and 36°F, and when you factor in the wind chill, the National Weather Service showed temperatures in NYC only reached 24°F. Yes, that’s literally 6°F colder than Antarctica.
And temperatures in NYC on Tuesday, January 16th, stayed frigid, clocking in at 31°F with a wind chill that made it feel like 22°F, according to the National Weather Service. Antarctica, on the other hand, was once again warmer than NYC, with temperatures reaching 27°F at the McMurdo Station and 36°F at the Palmer Station.
And if you don’t like the cold we unfortunately have some bad news: it looks like you’ll want to keep your balaclava and snowsuit handy–at least for now.
Today’s temperatures (Wednesday, January 17th) are only supposed to reach a high of 27°F, with wind chill values between 10 and 15.
And for the rest of the week, highs are forecasted to be 33°F on Thursday and 34°F on Friday, with “snow likely” to fall again on Friday with a possible accumulation of 1 to 2 inches.
The good news, temperatures are expected to warm up on Monday. NWS’s 8-14 day temperature outlook shows that all of the U.S. (except Alaska–sorry guys!) is looking at the possibility of above-normal temperatures.