Although Winter Storm Grayson and its “bomb cyclone” (with 70 mph winds in some areas) have fizzled out, the digging out shall now begin after parts of New England saw 18 inches of snow. The storm produced phenomenal photos but caused intense flooding in the Boston Area while crippling New York by shutting down airports and subway lines during a state of emergency. And conditions will continue to be, well, really damn cold for the foreseeable future.
Indeed, while falling iguanas in the Southeast stood as proof that much of the country was suffering from extreme cold this week, the worst was indeed yet to come for the Northeast, which will continue to suffer from an arctic blast. The Associated Press reports that “record-breaking cold air” will be fueled by strong winds, a combo that could shatter records in Philly, Boston, Maryland, and Virginia. Throughout Sunday, other major metropolitan areas could see record lows, via the Weather Channel:
Saturday could mark the first time with a high temperature failing to climb out of the single digits in Boston since Jan. 4-5, 2014. Daily record lows within reach Sunday morning include (record to beat is shown): Boston (minus 2 degrees); New York City (4 degrees); Philadelphia (4 degrees); Providence (minus 1 degree).
If Philadelphia slips below zero on Sunday morning it would be the first subzero low temperature in the city since 1994. New York City could record just its second subzero low temperature since 1994 on Sunday morning. The last time the Big Apple was below zero was on Valentine’s Day in 2016.
The cold snap is expected to endure until the middle of next week for the Northeast, although the Midwest will see relief from the arctic air swooping down through the jet stream on Sunday. The brutal effects stretched nationwide, including Mississippi, where water pipes burst and forced state legislators to use portable toilets at the state Capitol, and Maine, where residents are fretting over coastal erosion from flooding, which continues to be a huge concern.
CBS News also reminds everyone that this week’s extremely cold temperatures have resulted in a death toll of 19 people, and sadly, the shivering isn’t over yet.
(Via CBS News, Associated Press, Weather Channel & New York Times)