NYC Times Square revelers face wet, but mild New Year's Eve as 2018 winds down
Residents of New York City and social media users were buzzing Thursday night with what was going on in teh skies above New York City.
While rain may soak New Year's Eve revelers at Times Square in New York City on Monday evening, the weather will be dramatically warmer than one year earlier.
More than a million people are expected to take to the streets in Midtown Manhattan on Monday.
However, unlike in 2017, when temperatures fell through the teens and AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures dipped below zero, revelers should feel much warmer this year.
RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to be 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher (in the 40s) even though rain is in the offing.
Even though mild conditions are forecast, the rain can make even the hardiest person feel cold, especially when standing in wet clothes for several hours. A breeze will also add some chill as air is funneled in between the streets and avenues.
Those at Times Square should note that there are no wind measurements being taken at Central Park and false readings based on wind in Manhattan will cause RealFeel and wind chill measurments to be inaccurate. RealFeel levels from Newark or LaGuardia Airport may be more representative of conditions Times Square in this case.
People attending the celebration should wear waterproof shoes and a raincoat or plastic poncho to stay dry and consider layers. Certain fabrics, such as wool, retain their insulating properties, even when wet.
Enough rain may fall to cause large puddles and urban flooding in Manhattan during the evening.
"There is a chance the heaviest and steadiest rain departs Times Square in time for the ball drop at midnight," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
"Sometime during the late evening to the wee hours of the morning, the back edge of the drenching rain is forecast to lift north of the region," Pydynowski said.
As this happens, temperatures may jump into the 50s with a stiff southerly breeze.
Download the free AccuWeather app to track the forecast for New Year's Eve.
"The only other weather concern for evening activities in Times Square will be the potential for locally dense fog," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk.
Fog could obscure the visibility for viewing the stage and the ball for revelers who are some distance away.
As hundreds of thousands make their way home on mass transit after the festivities come to an end and the massive cleanup operation begins, mild conditions are in store with spotty rain showers as the worst of the rain from the storm shifts northward across New England and upstate New York.
For those remaining in New York City on New Year's Day, record-challenging warmth is in store with temperatures peaking within a few degrees of 60 in the morning. The day is forecast to be generally free of rain with at least partial sunshine.
Generally good travel conditions are in store along the Interstate-95 corridor of the Northeast on New Year's Day and Wednesday. However, it will trend colder by Tuesday night and Wednesday.
2018 was a record-breaking year for extreme weather events and storms. Extreme Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Reed Timmer talked to us about his top 5 chases of the year. He discussed some of his most dangerous experiences, what it's like to be out in the field and the moments he'll never forget!
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