A new front of arctic air will affect millions of people this weekend in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic United States. The National Weather Service warned of the deadly risk of hypothermia and possible cold records.
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Millions of people in the United States are preparing to face a new wave of extreme cold before the arrival of an arctic front that will impact strongly during the weekend. The phenomenon could cause actual temperatures as low as -34 degrees Celsius in inland areas of the Northeast and generate potentially record-breaking weather conditions in cities such as New York.
According to the latest bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS), a “surge of dangerously cold arctic air” will spread between Saturday and Monday over the northeast of the country and the mid-Atlantic region. Maximum temperatures would not exceed -6 degrees Celsius and historical cold records could be equaled or surpassed.
The cold front will be accompanied by strong winds that will drastically reduce the thermal sensation. In inland areas of the northeast, values could drop to -34 degrees Celsius, while in coastal areas thermal sensations of between -12 and -15 degrees are expected, especially between Saturday and Sunday mornings.
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The meteorological agency warned that the combination of low temperatures and wind represents a serious risk to health. “These conditions pose a mortal danger of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin,” the NWS said, urging the population to take extreme care.
In addition to the extreme cold, snowfall is expected in different areas of the northeast, with accumulations that could be moderate. The scenario is reminiscent of the winter storm recorded last January, when an arctic air mass affected a large part of the country, including southern states such as Florida, leaving more than 100 fatalities, in addition to power outages and the suspension of flights and school activities.
New York is among the cities most compromised by the advance of the Arctic front. Mayor Zoran Mamdani warned that the wind chill could drop to -23.3 degrees Celsius, which would imply “lethal conditions” for the population exposed to the cold.
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If the forecasts are confirmed, this episode would become one of the coldest weekends in the history of the city, ranking as the third most extreme, only behind February 9, 1934, when -26 degrees Celsius were recorded, and December 30, 1917, with -25 degrees, according to data from the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) measured in Central Park.
The city has been going through a sustained period of low temperatures for weeks and recently came close to breaking the record for consecutive days without exceeding zero degrees. In this context, the local government maintains the “Blue Code” active, a special alert for risk of freezing in force since January 19.
Source: EFE
Photo: Archive