Brooklyn Boro

2018 comes blowing into Brooklyn with a deep freeze

Baby it's cold out there

December 28, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in the New York Metropolitan area will be well below normal all week and into 2018. Graphic courtesy of NOAA
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The sun may be inching back into the daytime sky, but Brooklyn’s weather will be dangerously cold all week and into the new year, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency warns that temperatures will be around 10-15 degrees “below climatological normal” this week — with an average forecast temperature of 19 degrees for the week or so — and that temperatures will be “well below normal” into 2018.

Daytime temperatures will reach only into the teens to mid-20s, while lows will drop down into the low teens, with wind chills in the low single digits.  Record low temperatures could be approached at JFK airport (12 degrees in 1960) and at LaGuardia (also 12 degrees in 1952). There is also a chance of snow on Saturday, though the forecast is still uncertain.

It’s so cold that Coney Island won’t be offering free rides on Deno’s Wonder Wheel or the Stop the Zombies ride on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Despite the deep freeze, however, the Polar Bears Club still appears poised to take its annual New Year’s Day plunge.

The cold, coming after a relatively benign fall, could catch New Yorkers unawares. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito put out a release on Tuesday reminding residents to bundle up and make sure to wear a hat, scarf and gloves.

“Stay indoors as such as possible, and help others to stay safe by checking on elderly family members, neighbors and people with increased health risks,” Esposito said.

A Code Blue Weather Emergency notice has been issued by the city. No one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied.

This is no time to bring young children out for an extended period of time. Shivering is a sign to get inside, Emergency Management says, and intense shivering is one of many signs of hypothermia. Other symptoms include dizziness, trouble speaking, lack of coordination, sluggishness, drowsiness, confusion and shallow breathing.

In these temperatures, exposed skin can freeze in under 30 minutes. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the finger, toes, ears, nose and cheeks of both children and adults.

What to do if you have no heat

According to Emergency Management, any city tenant without adequate heat or hot water should first speak with the building owner or superintendent. If the problem is not corrected, call 311. (For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is (212) 504-4115.) You may also file a complaint online at 311ONLINE.

Don’t use your oven or fuel-burning space heaters to heat your home. These can release carbon monoxide, a deadly gas that you cannot see or smell.

If the owner fails to comply and does not restore service, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) may initiate repairs through its Emergency Repair Program and bill the landlord for the cost of the work.

 

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