Another round of snow swept into the tri-state region Saturday, with Storm Team 4 predicting that the latest mix of snow, sleet and rain will be followed by a renewed blast of arctic air.
Snow began to fall in New York City and on Long Island late Saturday afternoon. Western New Jersey was anticipating significant snowfall, perhaps as much as eight inches.
Less than 4 inches of snow fell in most parts of the region by Saturday evening, though some New Jersey communities saw nearly 5 inches.
The snowfall slowed traffic and caused delays at the three main airports in the area.
Wetter conditions were expected Saturday night.
More arctic air was expected to rush into the region Sunday night, setting up yet another week of frigid temperatures. After a relatively mild Sunday with an anticipated high of 41 degrees, the high temperature Monday was expected to reach only 19 degrees.
The frigid conditions follow a Friday that set weather records, as a "Siberian express" of arctic air and blasting winter winds plunged temperatures across the region more than 20 degrees below seasonal averages. It was the coldest Feb. 20 on record in several locations across the tri-state.
On Friday, the mercury dipped to 2 degrees in Central Park, marking the lowest Feb. 20 temperature seen in the park since Jan. 2004 and shattering a previous record low for the day set in 1950. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Central Park was negative 15 degrees on Feb. 9, 1934. During the winter of 1899, subzero temperatures were measured at Central Park three times in February.
In addition to the record Feb. 20 low at Central Park, record daily lows were observed at the region's three airports, Islip on Long Island and in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Temperatures across New Jersey dropped to zero degrees, while most of Long Island hit the low single digits. In the Hudson Valley and Connecticut, temperatures dropped below zero. Monticello, New York, saw the tri-state's lowest temperature reading as the mercury dropped to 8 below zero.
Blistering wind gusts made it feel colder, with wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero in some areas. The wind made walking difficult in New York City, stinging commuters' faces, while the record cold created icy conditions on the waterways around Manhattan and caused ferry disruptions.
If the cold weather continues through the next week, Storm Team 4 says it could make this month one of the coldest Februaries on record in New York City and the surrounding region. The average temperature in Central Park is about 24 degrees so far this month, 10 degrees below average.
The coldest February ever recorded in the city was in 1934, when the average monthly temperature in Central Park was 19.9 degrees.
