The Big Chill: Get Ready For A Blast Of Winter

Just last week we reported that based on retail reports many stores were offering “spring” sales on their winter merchandise to spur sales during this unseasonable “mild” winter. Well, now, according to meteorologists, they may have wanted to wait a little longer before dropping their prices. In fact, it seems that Long Islanders and Manhattanites can look forward to a significant dip in temperatures.

Experts suggest that it will finally begin to feel like winter as an arctic cold front moves in over the Northeast and pushes temperatures into the teens and upper 20s. Plus, we can also expect winds that will make the cold feel downright chilling, with little relief in site, at least for a week or so.

This dramatic change note professionals follows a long spell of unseasonably warm weather, especially uncharacteristic for December and January, the latter with historical lows at 26 degrees.

Professionals suggest that the warmer climate was a result of the El Nino phenomenon in the Pacific, resulting in warm sea surface temperatures that shocked normal weather patters. They go on to note, that this season was in fact the warmest to date since records were kept back in 1869 and that the 65-degree high experienced in Islip was the warmest there since records were tracked back in 1986. Also, the trace of snow on January 10 was the latest-arriving snowfall indicated since such statistics were recorded back in 1878.


Finally, experts suggest getting mentally and “physically” ready for this blustery change. Prep the car, the closet, and even your fridge and pantry for some wintry weather ahead.