Big Freeze: Arctic Air Grips Tri-State

Cold enough for you? Bone-chilling cold is prompting some schools around the area to delay openings and some to cancel classes all together as meteorologists warn residents in some parts of New York to stay inside as a blast of arctic weather takes aim at the Northeast.

Layered clothing was the order of the day around New Jersey as temperatures dropped to single digits or below zero. In Newark, N.J., the wind chill made it feel like four below zero.

The National Weather Service predicted a high of 20 in New York City, but no problems were reported at New York City’s LaGuardia and Kennedy airports early Monday morning.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it took extra steps overnight to ensure that its commuter trains and subways and buses would run without problems for the morning rush.

Extra crews checked on signals and switches and deicer and scraper trains were run to ensure ice did not build up on the rails. Some subway trains were stored underground and buses were checked for any equipment problems.

The culprit is a Canadian clipper, a cold air mass moving into the United States from the province of Alberta.

More seasonal temperatures are returning on Tuesday — the mid- to high-30s.

National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Morrin says “a mixed bag of precipitation” is expected for Wednesday into Thursday.

Meanwhile, organizers were forced to reschedule weekend winter festivals because of the frigid temps. In upstate New York, for example, the Special Olympics had to postpone oits regional winter sports competition because of the cold.

”Some of the athletes don’t realize when they’re getting cold, so we want to look out for their safety,” said Margaret Martin, a spokeswoman for the West Mountain Ski Resort in Queensbury, which hosts the event.

The competition was rescheduled for March 5. It’s the first time in recent memory that the event has been pushed back, she said.

In Mannsville, organizers canceled all events in Saturday’s Winona Forest Winterfest except a snowshoe race. The festival was supposed to include a snowman building contest, snow sculpting, dogsledding and other events.

Residents should wear several layers of warm clothing and stay inside if possible, Conte said.

Temperatures will rise beginning Tuesday, but an influx of more humid air from the south will likely bring snowstorms around Wednesday, he said.

New York City has been careful to fully prepare for winter weather after the day-after-Christmas blizzard that paralyzed large swathes of the metropolis and sparked several investigations.