Emergency Measures Issued as ‘Arctic’ Blast Hits Northeast US

A map posted by the NWS on Friday morning shows that dozens of counties in New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were under wind chill advisories or warnings as of Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. NWS

A significant swath of Arctic air that is forecast to hit the northeastern United States on Friday has prompted emergency measures across the region.

The National Weather Service on Friday wrote that a “strong arctic front” and winds will trigger significant wind chills as much as -50 degrees Fahrenheit or colder across the Midwest and Northeast regions.

A map posted by the NWS on Friday morning shows that dozens of counties in New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were under wind chill advisories or warnings. A blizzard warning was in effect for the northern portion of Maine.

“The associated cold air will produce temperatures 15 to 35 degrees below average over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Northeast through Sunday. Therefore, wind Chill Warnings and Wind Chill Advisories are posted from the Dakotas eastward to New England,” the NWS said. “Temperatures will begin to moderate over the Northern Plains/Upper Mississippi Valley by Sunday.”

Meteorologists told CNN that the cold combined with wind has placed more than 15 million people under wind chill warnings or advisories.

“Temperatures in most regions will likely have their highest temperatures of the day before sunrise as temperatures will fall throughout the day Friday. Strong winds will bring dangerously cold temperatures, with the peak of the cold in the Northeast occurring late Friday to Saturday morning,” meteorologist Taylor Ward told the outlet.

In New Hampshire’s Mount Washington State Park, atop the Northeast’s highest peak, record-breaking wind chills of -110 degrees and wind speeds topping 100 mph were expected.

“It’s definitely wicked cold, you can say that,” said Frances Tarasiewicz, a weather observer for the park, Reuters reported. “Today it’s a seasonal 5 degrees, but it’s coming at us quick,” he said of the cold blast headed for the Mount Washington Observatory, where staff members live on the mountain in eight-day shifts.

Emergency Measures

Schools in Buffalo, New York, and several districts in Massachusetts canceled classes on Friday due to the low temperatures. The city of Boston, meanwhile, implemented a cold emergency on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, officials said.

“Boston is moving quickly to ensure that everyone is protected from the intense cold weather that will start Friday and last through the weekend. I want to thank the many city teams who have already begun preparations and will be responding to this weekend’s brutal cold weather,” said Mayor Michelle Wu in a statement as her administration declared the emergency. “I urge all Boston residents to take precautions, stay warm and safe, and check on your neighbors during this cold emergency.”

“With extreme weather conditions and many of our students commuting to and from school, walking and waiting for public transportation outdoors, we have made the decision to close for the day,” Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper also said in a statement.

New York’s Erie County issued a code blue in the county, which includes Buffalo, that allows people to seek overnight shelter when temperatures drop.

“Please dress appropriately and don’t go out for extended periods in order to avoid frostbite or hypothermia,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a statement.

As for Maine, Gov. Janet Mills said that “temperatures this weekend will be extremely—and dangerously—cold across the state” and urged residents to “please take extra precautions, be careful if you go outside, and be sure to check on your family, friends, and neighbors to make sure they are okay.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul similarly urged residents to prepare for the cold, which will mostly hit western and Upstate New York.

Those regions are “expected to see temperatures as low as -15 degrees and wind chills as low as -25 to -50 degrees for a period lasting almost 48 hours,” her office said. “These extreme cold weather conditions bring an increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite, and fire and carbon monoxide poisoning from alternative heating sources, such as portable space heaters and fuel-burning appliances.”

Outside of the region, more than 450,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee were without electricity early on Thursday, according to Poweroutage.us, after half an inch (1.3 cm) of ice in some spots toppled power lines and trees.

Reuters contributed to this report.