New York City to get blasted by arctic air, snow this weekend

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Jan 18, 2025

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NEW YORK — After days of balmy weather, New York City is slated to get hit with snow and then blasted by frigid cold by weekend’s end.

Saturday morning started off cloudy and is set to turn soggy by the afternoon. Highs for the day are expected to peak around 45, which means any precipitation city dwellers see will be rain, rather than snow. Scattered showers are in the forecast throughout the day and will likely taper off into the evening.

And that’s when the winter weather reprieve is set to end. Temperatures are expected to plummet by Saturday night, thanks to a wave of arctic air set to chill out much of the Northeast. With highs expected to hover around 30, Sunday too is set to start off cloudy, with perhaps a bit of rain in the morning hours.

As the day wears on though, temperatures are expected to dive into the low 20s, paving the way for some significant snowfall.

The city could see anywhere between between 2 and 5 inches before the snow stops falling, likely around 1 a.m. on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. That’s enough to blanket sidewalks, snarl traffic and slow travel along much of the East Coast.

The Lower Hudson Valley and parts of New Jersey could meanwhile see up to 8 inches before the snow slows ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Some higher elevation areas in northwest New Jersey and the Hudson Valley could get as much as a foot of snow.

As a result, a winter storm watch has been issued for much of northeastern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County in Connecticut through Monday morning.

The snowfall is set to be followed by the coldest blast of air the city has seen this season, and will likely freeze any snow accumulation into place through next week. With a high of just 25 and a low reaching around 10 degrees on Monday, New Yorkers can expect to start off the week with its coldest weather yet this year.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be even worse, with temps slated to hover in the teens and 20s.

What’s more, morning wind chills on those days could force temperatures below zero in some areas, making it dangerous to even go outside. The wind could also whip around the remaining snow, which could result in visibility issues and hazardous driving conditions.

Temperatures will then rebound slightly on Friday, when they’re expected to climb just above freezing.