Biting cold temperatures will continue to send chills through the Big Apple into the weekend — though New Yorkers may get some respite as more seasonal temperatures defrost the region next week.
Temperatures will remain below-freezing heading into the weekend thanks to frigid arctic air circling the region, Fox Forecast Center Meteorologist Stephanie van Oppen told The Post on Tuesday.
“We’re probably going to be below-freezing at least through Friday, possibly Saturday. The coldest of the arctic air is going to be in the next 24 to 36 hours,” van Oppen said.
Temperatures Tuesday held steady in the teens — and more of that bitter cold can be expected Thursday.
Wind chills may also reach below zero before the weekend.
“Our high today is only 20 degrees, and tomorrow we’ll see something similar,” van Oppen said. “Thursday and Friday we should get back up into the higher 20s and low 30s before things move to above freezing.”
Things will start to warm up — at least compared to this week — by next Monday when the high will be 37 degrees, which was the average daily temperature in January last year, according to NOAA.
“It’s still going to be very cold, but it’ll definitely be back to more seasonal weather,” van Oppen said.
While some respite is in the future, New Yorkers shouldn’t expect a heatwave any time soon.
“We’re not expecting a dramatic warm-up in the next couple of days by any means,” van Oppen said, before adding, “It’s going to be closer to normal.”
Chilly arctic air has set much of the US on high alert following a polar vortex that left some parts of the East Coast covered in up to six inches of snow on Sunday going into Monday.
More than 30 states are currently on alert due to the cold, including Extreme Cold Warnings for wind chill values as low as -50 degrees. Cold Weather Advisories and Extreme Cold Watches are also in effect, according to the Fox Forecast Center.