Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC, Are You Ready For A Wintry Mix?
By
Claire Lampen
Published Nov 4, 2019
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
Claire Lampen
Published Nov 4, 2019
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
With Halloween dead and buried, we must now confront the looming inevitability of winter, which could arrive sometime next month or later this week, nobody knows. Now that we've "fallen back," i.e. sacrificed the afternoon sun to one extra hour of sleep one time, it is time to prepare your body for the polar vortices to come. It is time to throw on a turtleneck, boil yourself some hot wine, settle into bed at 3 p.m. and await the Arctic onslaught.
Incidentally, that onslaught may arrive as soon as Thursday evening, when the dreaded Wintry Mix threatens to make its first appearance. True, nobody asked for this...but then again I'm not sure anyone asked my local Rite Aid to take up its Yuletide mantel at midnight on Friday, yet here we are.
This morning, NYC awoke to the coldest temps it's experienced since April 6th: It was reportedly a bracing 37 degrees out there, a low that should warm to about 54 degrees by mid-afternoon. The day will be mostly sunny, like it is right now, with temperatures hovering in the low 50s overnight and rising all the way to 60 by noon tomorrow. The sky could cloud over, but expect autumnal conditions — mild, breezy — to linger until Thursday. At that point, you're probably going to want to fold over your turtleneck for double neck protection, because these temps will be brisk: Wednesday's high of 52 will cool into the low 40s overnight, rising up to roughly 54 on Thursday before dropping down into the 30s on Friday morning. This is when potential for wintry mix enters into the fray, quite possibly disrupting both your evening and morning commutes.
The National Weather Service is currently forecasting a sustained chance of rain, starting around 6 a.m. on Thursday and plowing forward undaunted till about 5 p.m. on Friday. It's possible that The Weather will sprinkle snow on top of this cold and clammy situation, with a chance of flakes beginning around 6 p.m. on Thursday and persisting until 5 p.m. on Friday. Overnight, wind chill will have created the sensory illusion of temps in the 20s — it could feel as cold as 24 degrees at 6 a.m. on Friday morning — that might require you to layer on a second, possibly even a third, turt in order to brave the glacial breezes.
Perhaps you are thinking that early November is a little too early to be pondering the wintry mix. Well, it is our unfortunate duty to remind you that last year's first winter storm, originally forecast as a measly inch of snow/rain/sleet/slush, absolutely obliterated our transportation infrastructure on November 15th. Despite being ostensibly overprepared for this weather event, city agencies found themselves kneecapped by 6 inches of snow and unable to sufficiently salt the streets, which in turn translated to absolutely insane traffic that trapped commuters in cars and buses for hours. After the fact, the city vowed to initiate a FULL SNOW RESPONSE anytime the forecast called for 2 or more inches of wintertime precipitation; I cannot say whether or not this first, hypothetical snowfall would meet that threshold — the NWS isn't projecting precipitation figures yet — but I think we'd all feel more comfortable if the Sanitation Department would show us all of its salt again. Just a nice saline security blanket to help you sleep soundly when the sun goes to bed at 4:49 p.m. today.
Tagged
wintry mix
snow
the weather
weather
Claire Lampen
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
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 .