Temperatures peaked in the low 50s on Wednesday afternoon. That won’t happen again for the foreseeable future, as a series of arctic outbreaks invade the tri-state area through next week.  Get your warmest winter parka ready and pull out your thickest wool sweaters.  You’re going to need them, along with a hat, gloves, and a scarf to battle the bitter cold. A Thursday morning cold front will usher in the first push of frigid air.  Temperatures will fall steadily through the day, from the 40s in the morning to the 30s in the afternoon and, eventually, the 20s by evening. Winds will be brisk on Thursday, too. Gusts will reach up to 30 miles per hour in the afternoon.  Expect the wind chill to be about 10 degrees below the actual air temperature. Friday will be very cold.  Temperatures will start in the 20s and we’ll struggle to rise above freezing in the afternoon.  Saturday will deliver a meager bump in temperatures, with our highs topping 40 degrees but our second arctic rush moves in Saturday night and will keep our temperatures significantly below normal all next week. In fact, we’re expecting some of the coldest air of the season early to mid-next week, with morning low temperatures in the teens and highs holding in the 20s in many places. This latest cold snap comes during a much colder-than-normal winter so far. Temperatures have averaged close to three degrees below normal this winter. That’s in stark contrast to the previous spring, summer and fall, when temperatures ran slightly warmer than normal in New York City. The cold air might come as a shock to your system, given that we’ve been spoiled by an eight-day stretch of above-normal temperatures in the 40s to low 50s. So bundle up and get ready for some wicked winter weather as we head through the back half of January.  And take heart in the fact that spring is only two short months away! ...read more read less