Watch CBS News

Bitter Cold Befitting Of February Hovers Over Tri-State

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The look of the weather on Tuesday was quite deceiving.

The skies were blue, the sunshine was bright, and fountains were turned on around Manhattan. But it felt more like a bright sunny day in February.

New York City tied Moscow for the daytime high on Tuesday, at 42 degrees. Even Anchorage, Alaska had a higher temperature Tuesday, peaking at 47 degrees.

"It's cold!" said Jennifer Perez of the Bronx.

"Way too cold for April, absolutely," said Sharon Talbot of the Upper West Side.

"This is ridiculous -- it's supposed to be spring! You know, the baseball teams are playing ball!" said Bob Bachner of the Upper West Side. "It's supposed to be 60 degrees, not 28 and windy like when I woke up this morning."

Of all the major cities in the continental United States, only Boston had a colder forecast high on Tuesday. But with the winds, it felt just as cold, CBS2's Elise Finch reported.

And many people described the combination of the cold and wind as painful.

"Like little needles going into your skin -- that's literally what it feels like," said Jeffrey Still of the Bronx.

"Without the wind, it would be beautiful out," said Steve Jonassen of Freeport, Long Island. "I mean, I don't mind the cold, but right now with the wind, it drops the temperature a lot."

The wind was also blowing things around, including the heavy umbrellas in Bryant Park. Still, hundreds of people braved the cold and wind as they waited to get into a job fair on 57th Street.

Sue Tucker had on her heaviest winter gear, and could still feel the bite even then.

"It feels fine, other than the wind chill across my face," said Tucker, of the Upper West Side.

Fellow job seeker Carmelo Peri of Staten Island did not think he would be waiting outside, so he wore his best suit and nothing else.

"Basically, I thought, you know, like you said, I'd be going inside and that's it," Peri said. "But it didn't work out that way, and now I'm freezing."

One couple visiting from Miami Beach said they were unprepared for the frigid weather. They stopped to buy extra winter gear and said they are changing their plans.

"We wanted to walk on the High Line and we wanted to do a few things like that, but I think we probably won't," said Elaine Litwin of Miami Beach.

Harlem resident Tracye Warfield said she can only hope the bitter blast is short-lived.

"I'm hoping it's just a real quick goodbye to winter and we can move on," she said.

It will be clear and cold Tuesday night with lows in the 20s. A freeze warning has been issued again from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday for New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut.

The cold is expected to stick around Wednesday. At 7 a.m., the temperature will be at a sub-freezing 30 degrees in New York City, 28 in White Plains, 23 in Newburgh, and 18 in Liberty, CBS2's Lonnie Quinn reported.

The afternoon high on Wednesday was expected to reach 49 degrees.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.