Times Square New Year’s Eve could be coldest since 2017
Plan on ringing in 2026 at Times Square in New York City, or at any outdoor event in the Midwest and Northeast Wednesday evening? Bundle up to avoid a trip to the emergency room for hypothermia or frostbite.
Frostbite and hypothermia are both caused by exposure to cold weather. What are the symptoms, and how do you stay safe?
Those holding their spot in Times Square in Midtown Manhattan on New Year's Eve are set to experience the coldest ball drop in 10 years.
Actual temperatures are forecast to hover in the upper 20s to lower 30s F into Wednesday evening and be around 32 as the ball begins its descent in New York City at midnight.
"If the weather pans out as forecast, the midnight temperature on New Year's Eve at Times Square will be the coldest since the cusp of 2017 and 2018, when it was a frigid 9 degrees," AccuWeather Social Media Producer and Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said.
However, while temperatures within a few degrees of freezing may not seem so bad, wind and dry air will make it feel much colder. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will range from the teens to the 20s during the evening hours.
Winds will be funneled through concrete canyons and can be even harsher at the intersections.
Slippery New Year's travel for Midwest, interior Northeast
As far as snow is concerned, people traveling in from the north and west over the miles will have the most trouble. A clipper storm will move in from the Midwest. While the storm may briefly shut off lake-effect snow in parts of upstate New York, western Pennsylvania and Ohio, the storm itself will produce a general swath of light snow that can coat highways such as interstates 78, 80, 81, and 90 as well as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New York Thruway.
On Wednesday night, a narrow band of heavy snow squalls will accompany an advancing Arctic front in much of the region, potentially creating hazardous driving conditions.
Will snow fall to ring in 2026?
"Farther to the east, a weak storm may try to form offshore and put down some snow on parts of Long Island, New York, and southeastern New England from Wednesday night to Thursday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. "If the two storms merge enough, a coating to an inch of snow may fall on New York City late Wednesday night with slippery streets and sidewalks."
During the evening in Manhattan, a few flurries are forecast and may mix with the blizzard of confetti at the stroke of midnight, ushering in 2026.
"If there is snow of any consequence during the ball drop, it will be the first since 2009," Ferrell said. "While there was a bit of snow reported in 2013 on New Year's Eve, it occurred during the daylight hours only. The storm in 2009 brought rain and 1.5 inches of snow to Manhattan on Dec. 31."
Official National Weather Service wind measurements taken in Manhattan may not accurately reflect real conditions throughout the island, as the official anemometer is located in a somewhat sheltered area of Central Park at Belvedere Castle.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages may make some people "feel" warmer, but studies have shown that it actually lowers the core body temperature in cold conditions.
Revelers take part in the New Year's Eve celebration in New York's Times Square, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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