A powerful polar vortex is set to hit New York City on Sunday, bringing heavy snow and dangerously cold temperatures that could feel as low as 15 degrees below zero with the wind chill.

The nor’easter was expected to begin around midday and continue into late Sunday night, potentially blanketing the city with up to six inches of snow. In northern New Jersey, snowfall could reach up to ten inches, according to forecasts.

The frigid conditions would ensure the snow lingered, with temperatures dropping into the low teens and remaining bitterly cold through Wednesday, according to Fox Weather meteorologist Cody Braud.

Washington, D.C., and areas along the I-95 corridor, including Philadelphia and Boston, were also forecast to see up to half a foot of snow.

The last time New York City experienced six inches of snowfall was December 16, 2020. However, the extreme cold following the snowstorm posed an even greater danger.

“The cold will be even more dangerous than the snow,” Braud emphasized. “With the wind chill, Tuesday morning will likely be feeling below zero.”

The National Weather Service warned that wind chills could plunge to minus 15 degrees on Monday night into Tuesday, with gusts of 10 to 20 mph battering the region throughout the week. These conditions led city officials to issue a “Code Blue” weather alert.

“Outreach teams will canvass all five boroughs to connect our most vulnerable New Yorkers to shelters,” the city’s Office of Emergency Management shared on X. “No one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied.”

Mayor Eric Adams urged residents to expect widespread travel disruptions on Sunday and encouraged the use of public transportation to minimize risks. He noted that with schools closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, snow plows would have an easier time clearing roads.

“We urge all New Yorkers to take this storm seriously [and] prepare for hazardous conditions,” said Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol during a press conference on Saturday.

City officials reminded residents to report heating or hot water issues by calling 311.

The polar vortex would usher in Arctic air originating from Siberia, bringing freezing temperatures to approximately 300 million Americans. The cold snap was forecast to affect at least 20 states, from the Plains to the Great Lakes and the Northeast, with temperatures plunging as low as -50 degrees in parts of the Midwest and Ohio River Valley.

Experts warned that millions would face life-threatening risks from hypothermia and frostbite due to the extreme cold.

The harsh conditions also impacted national events, with President-elect Donald Trump’s Monday inauguration ceremony moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda for the first time in 40 years due to the frigid weather.

“This could be one of the coldest presidential inaugurations since Ronald Reagan was sworn into office in 1985,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva.

Sunday’s snowstorm was also expected to disrupt the NFL playoff game in Philadelphia, where snowfall and poor visibility could make for challenging conditions on the field.

The wintry weather was unlikely to ease anytime soon. Meteorologists were tracking another potential storm system that could hit the southern United States later in the week, possibly moving up the East Coast and adding to the snow already set to fall this weekend.

{Matzav.com}