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New York has had its fair share of whiplash weather, but tonight’s plunge might feel especially rude. After a Monday that started in the mid-50s (plus the obligatory morning showers), the National Weather Service says temperatures will tumble sharply after sunset, dropping toward 30 degrees by early Tuesday. A freeze warning kicks in at 1am and runs through 9am, marking the city’s first real cold snap of the season.
Blame the polar vortex for the sudden shift. Arctic air is spilling south thanks to a deep dip in the jet stream, sending cold blasts across much of the country and nudging the Northeast straight into winter preview mode. Winds will gust up to 40 miles per hour overnight, pushing wind chills into the mid-20s. By sunrise, many New Yorkers will wake up to frozen windshields, icy stoops and the kind of bracing air that turns a two-block walk into a personality test.
The freeze warning stretches across all five boroughs as well as parts of New Jersey, Long Island and southern Connecticut. While NYC isn’t facing the heavy snow expected near the Great Lakes, a stray flurry or two wouldn’t be shocking on Tuesday afternoon, especially north and west of the city, thanks to lingering instability behind the front.
Showers are possible into this afternoon as a cold front moves across the area. Much colder & drier conditions move over the area tonight. Temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 20s inland & around 30 degrees closer to the coast with wind chills in the teens & low 20s. pic.twitter.com/85jfHzGGcz
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) November 10, 2025
City officials are nudging residents to take the usual early-season precautions. Pets should stay indoors overnight. Outdoor plants should come inside or get bundled in burlap like they’re headed to a very unfashionable winter gala. Homes with drafty pipes may want to keep a tiny trickle of water running from at-risk faucets and opening cabinet doors under sinks can help warm air circulate. And yes, commuters will want to build in extra time Tuesday morning—scraping frost off the windshield is back on the menu.
The cold won’t stick around long. By Wednesday, temperatures bounce back into the low 50s, with overnight lows returning to their normal mid-40s. But tonight’s freeze is a clear seasonal checkpoint: the city’s growing season is effectively done, gloves are no longer optional and winter is warming up in the wings.
In the meantime, layer up, keep the cocoa close and consider this your official heads-up that the long stretch of “Do I need a jacket?” math is over. You absolutely need one.