Syracuse, N.Y. -- Temperatures are expected to plummet rapidly today as Central New York becomes the latest part of the country to get with with a blast of arctic air.
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The region is likely to warm up this morning into the low 40s, which is about 10 degrees warmer than normal for Sep. 2. But it won’t last long: As that cold air hits in late morning or early afternoon, temperatures will fall below freezing within a couple of hours.
The weather service warns that the plunging temperatures could create a “flash freeze,” when recent rain on the road turns quickly to ice. That rain will switch suddenly to snow, and even the inch or two expected to fall this afternoon could make roads even more slippery. Strong winds could also blow around that snow, reducing visibility.
As the cold front moves into New York state from the southwest, temperatures are plunging in Western New York. In Randolph, in Cattaraugus County, it fell from 37 degrees to 9 degrees in just three hours.
Temperatures are predicted to steadily fall all day, reaching single digits by midnight. Combined with winds gusting as high as 40 mph, it will feel like 15 degrees below zero by sunrise Saturday. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for Central New York from 5 p.m. today to noon Saturday.
School districts and Onondaga County have announced closures today, and travel advisories are in effect in Cayuga and Onondaga counties through Saturday morning.
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Cold front moving into New York state
The arctic cold front is already pushing into Upstate New York from the southwest. This map shows temperatures as of 1:38 PM. today, according to the New York State Mesonet.
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