Officials warn of dangerous arctic blast across Northeast
Temperatures across the Northeast plummeted and wind speeds crept upward Friday, as the region prepared for some of the coldest wind chills in decades.
If there was a bit of cold comfort for residents who had to be outside in the harsh conditions, it was this: At least they weren't atop Mount Washington, in New Hampshire, the region's highest peak, where the temperature was already minus 37 degrees Fahrenheit as of Friday afternoon and expected to drop to minus 46. High winds of 98 mph were making the temperature feel like minus 94.
Temperatures and wind speeds were expected to break records across the region. By late afternoon, it was 19 degrees in New York City, 13 in Hartford, Connecticut, and minus 1 in Concord, New Hampshire, with the wind making it feel dramatically colder everywhere. The wind chill reading in Caribou, Maine, was minus 42.
Conditions across the region were expected to grow even colder and windier into Saturday but quickly become more moderate by Sunday.
In northern New England, where residents pride themselves on coldweather endurance, the combination of frigid cold and high winds forced some to make rare accommodations. Wildcat Mountain, a 4,000-foot peak in New Hampshire's White Mountains, closed to skiers Friday, citing risks from the adverse conditions.
Sixty miles to the south, at Lake Waukewan in Meredith, New Hampshire, organizers opted not to cancel the Pond Hockey Classic, a packed schedule of outdoor ice hockey games for die-hard adult players Friday and Saturday. Organizers warned players of the risk of frostbite and hypothermia and urged them to bring dry clothing, to leave immediately after their games and to keep an eye on teammates.
Lorelai Kyes, a student at the University of New Hampshire, said that just about everyone she saw Friday was bundled up and “miserable.” One student even brought a blanket and a heating pad to class.
“I feel like it is part of New England,” Kyes said. But, she added: “Most of the winters lately have been getting warmer, so I haven't experienced this since I was a kid.”
Some had little choice but to be outside. In Hanover, New Hampshire, where temperatures of minus 20 and wind chills of minus 30 were expected Friday and today, Tiana Denk shrugged off the 1-degree noontime temperature as she worked a busy lunchtime shift delivering pizzas for Domino's.
Dressed in a thin jacket, and no hat or gloves as she loaded up her delivery car with pizza boxes, Denk said she was just glad it was clear and sunny.
“If it was snowing, it would be worse,” she said. “These cars are only two-wheel drive.”