Bitterly cold today, brief warm-up on its way

Temperatures will warm a little above freezing too. New Year’s Day will be mostly sunny and cold with a high of 10 degrees.

During a cold weather alert, residents should take precautions to protect themselves from the cold to avoid complications such as frostbite and hypothermia. There isn’t any more snow in the immediate forecast, but it is going to be bitterly cold.

City officials are warning New Yorkers to prepare for the extreme cold and reminding residents that the brutal weather is especially unsafe for homeless individuals, infants, older adults and people with certain chronic medical conditions, like heart or lung diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. Another window for snow may open up around the second half of next week, around January 3-5. Infants may have red, cold skin and very low energy. And a stubborn low-pressure system is locking these conditions into place through at least New Year’s Day, which may be even colder than today. The better chances for snow will arrive Friday evening, but even then, they aren’t great.

-Periods of light to moderate snow on Saturday, with upwards of 2 to 4 inches of accumulation.

So far, it hasn’t been much of a record-breaking winter, either. I’m leaning away from any substantial snowfall this weekend.

Presuming we don’t reach 30 degrees before the end of the year, we will have six straight days with highs in the 20s between Tuesday and Sunday.

Most of the moisture will move south as we ring in the new year at midnight, but with temperatures in the 20s, any leftover precipitation could be freezing rain producing icy spots through Monday morning.

Friday’s forecast calls for a high in the mid-40s and low near 27, but calm winds.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey.

As part of a hazard simplification plan, forecasters will issue a “winter storm watch” for potentially significant weather, including heavy snow, ice sleet and blowing snow.