Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Everything You Need To Know About The Incoming Polar Vortex
By
Joe Schumacher
Published Jan 6, 2014
Modified Jan 6, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Joe Schumacher
Published Jan 6, 2014
Modified Jan 6, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The polar vortex has broken loose from its northern confines, bringing brutally cold air, the likes of which has not been seen for nearly twenty years, into the central part of the continent today. That frigid air will arrive in the city this evening, making for a bitterly cold day tomorrow.
What is a polar vortex anyway? In this case vortex is just a scary-sounding word for the two semi-permanent low pressure systems that normally spend the winter north of Baffin Bay or over Siberia. What's happened this week is that a big trough in the jet stream has managed to dislodge the vortex and send it southward so that it will pass just north of the Great Lakes before heading toward Greenland. Perhaps the most unusual thing about this polar vortex is how long it has been since the last outbreak of this magnitude. Twenty years! These things used to happen much more frequently.
The cold front that is the leading edge of the frigid air mass passed through the city this morning and we'll see our temperatures plunge to near freezing by evening and into the single digits by tomorrow morning, close to January 6th's record of 6 degrees. On top of that the winds are expected to pick up to around 20-25 mph, with gusts greater than 40 mph, pushing wind chill values to -15 degrees or worse. That's cold enough to cause frostbite to exposed skin in less than 30 minutes so be careful out there! Also keep in mind that all the water from today's rain and melting snow is going to freeze solid overnight.
The NYC Office of Emergency Management has issued a number of tips for making sure you make it through this vortex with all your fingers and toes. In addition to slitting open a Ton-Ton and taking refuge inside, the OEM suggests:
- Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head.
- Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
- Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
- Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.
Read the full breakdown of advice here.
Tomorrow is only going to warm to 10-12 degrees or so and the wind chill will stay in the negative teens all day. However, the temperature will begin to rebound on Wednesday as the polar low heads toward Greenland. Wednesday's high looks like it will reach the mid 20s. We could be above freezing by Thursday and easily into the mid 40s on Saturday.
Tagged
cold
frigid
polar vortex
weather
wind chill
Joe Schumacher
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .