#507: Uggh! - Weekend forecast - the temperatures are in Fahrenheit

Courtesy of CBS New York: The clear skies and balmy temperatures of last weekend will seem like a distant memory in the days to come, with dangerous winds and bitter cold, and a snowstorm coming just in time for the new work week next week. The National Weather Service warned Thursday evening of an arctic front with winds of 20 to 30 mph, gusting up to 40 to 45 mph. Mother Nature was already making good on the threat by 6 p.m., when winds on the West Side of Manhattan blew violently from the west and began knocking things over. The winds will gradually weaken after midnight, but not before ushering in a frigid air mass, the NWS warned. The overnight low was expected to drop to an icy 11 degrees, with wind chills ranging from 0 to 10 degrees, CBS 2’s Lonnie Quinn reported. Some areas may see wind chills of minus 5 to minus 10, and air temperatures in the single digits, according to the NWS. Conditions are expected to be clear with a high of 22 degrees on Friday, followed by highs of 34 on Saturday and 34 on Sunday. But then, a major snowstorm Sunday evening through Monday is expected to cause huge disruptions from Chicago to New York City, according to AccuWeather. The heaviest snow is likely to fall Monday afternoon into evening in the coastal Northeast, said Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Snowfall rates at the height of the storm may reach 2 inches per hour, according to AccuWeather. The storm is likely to impact travel, school and business activities, Sosnowski said. The power of the storm is dependent on two high-pressure systems that will be hovering over the Tri-State Area. “The challenge with this storm is figuring out where the north-south boundary between rain and snow will set up and migrate to as the storm progresses slowly eastward,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams. If the high-pressure system to the north prevails, it could pull down cold air and bring snow totals of a foot or more, Quinn reported If the system to the south prevails, the snow and ice will be balanced out by warm air and rain, and snow totals could amount to as little as 2 to 4 inches. Based on current models, Quinn forecast 4 to 8 inches of snow are likely to fall in the city during the storm Sunday and Monday.