Cold, wind chill and deadly snow squall: Millions in the Northeast shiver in Arctic-like weather

Autumn is going out like a lion for millions of residents across the nation’s Northeast dealing with blinding snow squalls and wind chill temperatures at or below zero degrees.

Temperatures from Maine to Virginia reached into the mid-teens or below early Thursday, AccuWeather reports. Double-digit winds added to the discomfort level two days before the official start of winter.

“As high pressure builds in through Thursday, temperatures will average 8 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit below normal,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok said

Philadelphia, New York and Boston got winter wake-up calls, with temperatures in the teens and winds gusting above 20 mph. Boston’s wind chill was -3 degrees. Newark, N.J., had a respite — the wind chill was above zero, at 1 degree.

Any presidential hopefuls lobbying for votes ahead of New Hampshire’s primary were greeted in Manchester with a wind chill of -8. 

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Thursday wasn’t expected to warm up much, either. The forecast high for Washington, D.C., barely broke freezing. Pretty much anywhere north of the Mason Dixon line was sentenced to freezing temperatures all day.

“Today will be much colder than it’s been so far this winter,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio warned on Twitter. “Make sure you’re bundled up in layers and don’t stay outside longer than you have to.” 

Pedestrians observe a snow squall in Times Square Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) ORG XMIT: NYFF106 (Photo: Frank Franklin II, AP)

On Wednesday, snow squalls sweeping across the region ahead of a wave of Arctic air proved deadly in Pennsylvania. Two people died and dozens were injured when the blinding conditions triggered a pileup on Interstate 80 about 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia. A section of the highway remained closed Thursday so smashed cars could be extricated from the bedlam.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said the squall likely came in behind sunshine, when the road surface was above freezing. So the snow would melt, then quickly freeze when the sun disappeared and the snow kept falling.

“The loss of heat on the road due to the heavy snow can cause (the road) to quickly drop below freezing,” Sojda said. “This is a particularly dangerous threat that snow squalls can often pose.”

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The National Weather Service had posted snow squall warnings from West Virginia through New England. Dramatic, time-lapse video shot from One World Trade Center shows a squall rolling in across Manhattan. 

“New Yorkers should plan for hazardous road conditions and are advised to use exercise caution, turn on headlights, and drive slowly if you are traveling through a snow squall,” the city emergency management agency warned. “Consider avoiding or delaying travel until the snow squall passes.”

Wow! Check out this time lapse of the #SnowSquall moving over Manhattan. Crazy cool view from the top of One World Trade Center. pic.twitter.com/K7kxjcA0Zt

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