New York Today: New Year’s Freeze

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/02/nyregion/new-york-today-new-years-freeze.html

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Good morning on this teeth-chattering Tuesday.

We’re starting the New Year with cold feet — and hands, and noses, and ears.

For the past week or so, it’s been 15 to 20 degrees colder than normal for this time of year in New York City. The average high for Jan. 2 has, historically, been 39 degrees, but today it almost certainly won’t budge past 23.

(Those who stood in Times Square on Sunday night to see the ball drop faced wind-whipped lows that felt as bitter as 5 to 10 degrees below zero, making it the city’s coldest New Year’s Eve since 1962.)

Oddly enough, though, these brutally chilly days have brought us sunny skies and little snow.

Why is that?

When cold air blows into our area from arctic regions, as it has during this frigid streak, it has a tendency to be very dry, according to John Homenuk, the founder of New York Metro Weather. “A lot of times, if the polar vortex is nearby, it’s such a dominating feature that it’s very dry and very cold, and all the moisture is deflected away from it,” he said.

During bigger snowstorms, he added, temperatures tend to rise closer to freezing. So in New York, at least, “you don’t tend to see that big a snowstorm in the single digits.”

(Case in point: During the blizzard in January 2016, one of the largest snowfalls ever recorded in New York City, temperatures were generally in the 20s.)

So what ingredients are needed to cook up a perfect storm?

“In order to get snow of significance,” Mr. Homenuk said, “the main things you need are cold enough temperatures, lift in the atmosphere and moisture.”

Later this week, when temperatures are expected to climb closer to 30, we may see some flurries. We’re in the clear for snow today and tomorrow, but it may feel as bone-chilling as 0 degrees as you head out for the day.

“I’m sure people will be asking when it’s going to end,” Mr. Homenuk said of this cold spell. “We can probably look at the second week of January when things will start to improve — when our confidence will go up that when you walk outside, it’s going to be much less unpleasant than it is right now.”

Here’s what else is happening:

• Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn in for his second and last term on Monday. [New York Times]

• Though attendees came to witness Mayor de Blasio’s inauguration, many viewed the presence of Senator Bernie Sanders as a bonus. [New York Times]

• Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, once seen as a source of pride for the New York region, is now seen by some of its neighbors as a noisy nuisance. [New York Times]

• Before Mayor de Blasio spoke at his second inauguration, would-be candidates to replace him in 2021 took turns at the microphone. [New York Times]

• Park or playground? Developers and preservationists are in a dispute that could have major implications for a plan to develop a high-rise on what is now an East Harlem recreational spot. [New York Times]

• New York City is retiring many of its Cold War-era signs designating certain indoor spaces as “nuclear fallout shelters.” [WNYC]

• Starting Jan. 1, employees working for private companies in New York State will be eligible for paid family leave. Here’s what you need to know. [Pix 11]

• All of New York City’s 471 subway stations now have countdown clocks. [New York Daily News]

• How a Brooklyn resident, who has a disease that affects her coordination, draws on positive messages from WWE and Alcoholics Anonymous. [New York Times]

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• Today’s Metropolitan Diary: “Meeting Bill Murray”

• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.

• It’s the final week to meet 18 mummies from ancient Egypt and pre-Columbian Peru, in the "Mummies" exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. [Times and prices vary]

• See a comedy show about our determination (or inability) to keep our New Year’s resolutions, at the Peoples Improv Theater in Flatiron. 8 p.m. [$8]

• … Or resolve to get on stage yourself during open mics at the Creek and the Cave comedy club in Long Island City, Queens. 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. [Free]

• Looking ahead: Still pondering what to do with your holiday tree? You can “treecycle” it at drop-off locations across the five boroughs at Mulchfest this Saturday and Sunday. [Free]

• Islanders host Bruins, 7 p.m. (MSG+). Knicks host Spurs, 7:30 p.m. (MSG). Devils at Blues, 8 p.m. (MSG+2).

• Alternate-side parking remains in effect until Jan. 15.

• For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.

With the New Year comes a new look in Prospect Park.

No more cars.

Beginning today, the entire loop-drive through the park — east and west sides — will become car-free.

The decision was decades in the making. Most recently, when the park held a trial run last summer, the city’s Department of Transportation found that closing the roadways to cars caused little to no incremental delays, further making a case for the change to be permanent.

“As Brooklyn’s backyard,” said Sue Donoghue, president of the Prospect Park Alliance, “it is important to do all we can to ensure the park is a safe and tranquil destination for the millions of visitors who depend upon it for recreation and relaxation.”

Following implementation today, the department plans to monitor traffic patterns in the area and adjust traffic signals if necessary.

Now all we need is some warmer weather so we can actually enjoy it.

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