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A polar vortex is quickly approaching New York City

Temperatures are about to drop nearly 40 degrees in a single day.

Anna Rahmanan
Written by
Anna Rahmanan
Senior National News Editor
NYC cold
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Yesterday, it was basically spring in New York. Today, though, we're here to warn you that a freezing polar vortex is heading our way. Yes, we're just as confused about the drop in temperature as you are. 

Even more specifically, according to the National Weather Service, today's highs will reach the mid-40s but catapult down to the mid-30s by Thursday. On Friday night, it'll get as cold as 6 degrees in Central Park. 

"A piece of the tropospheric polar vortex has decided to come visit us on Friday," tweeted New York Metro Weather this week. "Some guidance indicates that temperatures could fall near 0° F in parts of the NYC metro on Saturday morning." 

Perhaps even more oddly, though, experts expect the temperatures to climb back up into the low 40s by Sunday afternoon—basically a 40-degree difference in a mere 24 hours.

Usually, when it gets this cold, we can at least get excited about the possibility of snow. Unfortunately, that won't be the case this week: the weather service has made no snow-related announcements. 

In fact, just as we reported yesterday, NYC just broke the record for the longest winter without snowfall

While setting up your schedule for the pretty frigid weekend ahead, we suggest consulting our list of best fireplace bars, where you'll be able to keep warm while indulging in some top-notch cocktails. If you're looking for something even more comforting, you can also browse through the best hot cocktails to indulge in right now. Either way, stay warm!

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