Revelers cramming into Times Square to see the ball drop Thursday evening didn't have to bundle up quite as tight as in previous years thanks to above-average temperatures that closed out New York City's warmest December on record, Storm Team 4 says.
The mercury hit the 48-degree mark Thursday afternoon, which didn't pull down the city's average high for the month of 51 degrees. That's the warmest average December high on record in Central Park and is more than 13 degrees above normal averages.
Chilly conditions began to move in Thursday evening, but temperatures stayed around the 40-degree mark when the ball dropped at midnight. Storm Team 4 says that wind chills could make it feel like it's in the low 30s overnight.
Unless there is an unexpected plunge in temperatures Thursday night, it will also be the first time on record that freezing temperatures weren't recorded in New York City in the month of December.
Cooler weather is on the way in 2016, though. Storm Team 4 says that lows could hit the freezing point over the weekend, and the high temperatures will hover in the mid 30s on Monday and Tuesday.
A couple flurries are possible on Saturday night in areas north of the five boroughs, but the skies should be mostly clear otherwise.
