Frigid Blast Of Arctic Air Blows Across Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The first big chill of the season descended on the Tri-State Area, forcing many New Yorkers to bundle up.
CBS2's Lonnie Quinn reported the mercury in Central Park read 36 degrees as of 5 p.m. with northwest winds at 25 mph and gusting to 30 mph. Some snow flurries were also seen in the area.
Earlier in the day, wind chills made it feel like 12 degrees in Monticello and winds were gusting to 35 mph.
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Some weren't quite ready for the December chill.
"It's freezing cold man," one man said.
"I don't like the cold," added an NYPD traffic enforcement officer.
Even for those who donned standard sartorial safeguards – such as hoods, hats and what are known as "meteorological masks," the wind chill making it feel like the low 20s was not pleasant.
"It's horrible," said a man whose mouth was covered by a scarf. "I just want to be inside."
The solution, many said, is to layer up – sweaters over sweaters, socks under insulated boots, long underwear.
But some people went the opposite direction. Rapoport spotted Benito Quan running shirtless on the Upper East Side.
"I want to achieve max burn," Quan said. "Burn twice the amount of fat running."
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Overnight Friday into Saturday, the low will drop to 27 degrees with a wind chill making it feel like 20. Winds will be from the west-northwest at 15 to 20 mph. The high for Saturday is expected to climb to just 35 with a few flurries.
It'll be colder Saturday, but there will be less wind; and there's a chance for some snow on Sunday.
Rapoport spotted Benito Quan running shirtless on the Upper East Side.
"I want to achieve max burn," Quan said. "Burn twice the amount of fat running."
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Meanwhile, back-to-back storms are slamming much of the country with heavy snow, wind and freezing rain, creating dangerous conditions from the Midwest to Maine.
Parts of upstate New York have already seen more than a foot of lake effect snow and could see another foot before the storm moves out over the weekend.
Crews fought against fast falling snow, but icy roadways led to dangerous conditions in parts of the country on Thursday.
In Erie, Pennsylvania, part of Interstate 90 looked more like an abandoned junkyard after heavy snowfall triggered a crash involving at least 13 vehicles. Fifteen people were reportedly hurt.
Farther down I-90 in Ashtabula County, Ohio near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line, a 75-car pile-up shut down the interstate, which remained closed for hours in both directions.
In Livingston County, Michigan about 30 miles from Lansing, a semi-tractor jackknifed across I-96 shutting down most of the highway. A massive 53-car pileup killed three people and injured 11 more, CBS Detroit reported.
Quinn reported that on Sunday, a warm front will ride up and over the cold air, bringing snow to the area.
The city will likely at most see a coating to 1 inch, but some areas to the north and west will see 1 to 3 inches of accumulation and pockets could see up to 5 or 6 inches, Quinn reported. To the south of the city in New Jersey, rain is mainly expected.
The precipitation will turn to rain for most of the area by Monday. A slick Monday morning rush is expected.