Arctic air to freeze New Year’s Eve revelers in Times Square as they kick off 2018
Revelers heading to New York City’s Times Square to ring in 2018 will face one of the coldest ball drops on record this New Year’s Eve.
Warm jackets, hats, scarves, gloves and hand and foot warmers will be necessities for the estimated 1 million people poised to descend on the Big Apple.
“Those venturing to Times Square for New Year’s Eve will need to bundle up and dress in layers,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson said.
If the temperature at midnight is 14 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, it would be one of the top three lowest New Year's Eve midnight temperatures on record in New York City, and that appears likely on Sunday night, according to Adamson.
A temperature near 11 is anticipated as the calendar flips from 2017 to 2018. Temperatures at such level are around 20 degrees below normal for the end of the year. The Big Apple’s normal low temperature for Dec. 31 is 28.
This year's event will fall short of the coldest ball drop on record in New York City, which occurred in 1917 with an observed midnight temperature of 1 F.
Attendees eager to watch the sparkling New Year’s Eve ball descend during the countdown to 2018 will be met with temperatures in the teens throughout the event. However, biting northwest winds at 10-20 mph will add another layer of brutal chill to the air.
“A gusty wind will cause AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to fall to 5 to 10 degrees below zero,” Adamson said.
Spectators crowding into Midtown Manhattan to catch musical acts prior to midnight will face a higher risk of hypothermia and frostbite given the length of time spent outdoors in such temperatures.
The snow that may coat the city on Saturday will exit in time for New Year’s Eve, making for a dry and mainly clear evening. However, pedestrians should be wary of leftover slick patches on sidewalks.
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