By: Richard L. Smith
We are facing extreme weather and bitter winds that will sweep across our area today, ushering in a dangerously cold weekend that will linger straight through Sunday.
Good morning and welcome to Saturday.
If you’re up and out early, you’ll want all of the warm weather gear you can find; today is no joke. Any exposed skin left uncovered for more than 10 minutes could lead to frostbite.
In Newark and across the North Jersey region, temperatures are sitting around 24 degrees at 4:30 a.m. with light snow falling.
Don’t let that number fool you, it currently feels closer to 6 degrees, and as winds strengthen throughout the day, it will feel more like zero to minus 10 degrees in many spots.
According to the National Weather Service:
Saturday:
Snow is likely, mainly before 7 a.m. Cloudy skies with temperatures falling to around 10 degrees by late morning. Wind chill values between minus 10 and zero. Very windy, with northwest winds of 25 to 30 mph and gusts up to 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent, with less than a half-inch of snow possible.
Saturday Night:
Partly cloudy with lows around 3 degrees. Wind chills between minus 10 and minus 15. Northwest winds remain strong at 25 to 30 mph, gradually easing after midnight, with gusts still reaching 46 mph.
This is serious cold. Bundle up, limit time outdoors if you can, and if you don’t have to be out, stay inside and stay warm.