Last week, we warned you that a Wintry Mix might roll through the tristate area to make mincemeat of your commute, but that was...not what ended up happening, no. Instead, we got regular old cold, without any snow or ice flying at our faces like tiny torpedoes. I'm sure we're all very grateful for this oversight, which is why it pains me to report that the specter of Wintry Mix has returned to haunt us once again. The experts remain split as to The Weather's precise intentions for the next few days, but what does seem clear is that temps will drop again, precipitously. In fact, on Wednesday you may be able to assume your creakiest voice and say things like, "I haven't seen a November 13th this cold in 36 years," at least. Or, quite possibly, ever!
But for now, temps have stalled out in peak fall territory: We're rising through the 50s, to top out around 59 degrees between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. today. Sky cover should remain low, with barely any breezes to speak of — prime parade watching weather if you were looking to, I don't know, celebrate Veterans Day by screaming things at a certain high-profile tourist. Don't get too comfortable, though. Temps look poised to plummet overnight, dropping us from an eminently reasonable 53 around 12 a.m. down to 40 by 8 a.m. As things continuously cool, a chance of rain may pick up around 3 a.m., becoming a likelihood around 6 a.m. and staying that way until 11 a.m. Meanwhile, the wind will gather its faculties to gust by at 24, then 29, then 31 mph — a strong breeze, "larger tree branches moving, whistling in wires" — by 3 p.m.
Basically, tomorrow will boot you down on a loooooong waterslide that eventually dumps you out in an ice bath, the chill from which creeps up the tube and clamps down harder and harder on your ankles as you approach your arctic endpoint: The air will, according to the National Weather Service, get progressively colder as we near the end of the day, finishing at a technical 24 degrees that feels more like 13 degrees, due to wind.
Pix 11 and NBC New York both predict that the precipitation, in combination with the cold cold temps could translate to a slushy, melt-on-contact snow during the rainy window. The NWS isn't charting any snow potential right now, although that could always change. It is, however, forecasting a deep-winter Wednesday, with a high that clocks in at 33 degrees. The low, unfortunately, could be closer to 23 degrees, which may feel like 11 degrees. This is not ideal, I'm sure you'll all agree, but it may wind up being unprecedented: Wednesday could set a record, cold comfort for those of you who aren't ready to let go of the best season quite yet.
Fortunately, fall returns Thursday, with temps climbing back up into the 40s, where I hope they will stay for the weekend at least. Autumn's official end date is still well over a month away, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course, we already know that The Weather cares not for arbitrary seasonal cutoffs. Never forget the great microblizzard of November 2018 — the one-year anniversary of which arrives this week. It only takes a few inches of slush to bring this city to its knees, and with that in mind, see you on one of the many stalled subway lines tomorrow morning, maybe! Maybe.
