With snowstorm done, extreme cold and winds next for North Jersey

A "Winter Bomb Cyclone" exploded in the region Thursday, and in its wake North Jersey residents will find a type of cold rarely seen in the region.

The temperature fell below 20 degrees Thursday and will stay there until Monday. High temperatures will only range from 12 to 18 degrees and the low will be zero Saturday, according to AccuWeather's forecast. The windchill will make it feel 20 degrees below zero at times.

"Folks probably remember how cold New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were, and this air mass is going to be even a little bit colder than that one," senior meteorologist Dave Dombek of AccuWeather said.

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The temperatures threaten some of the record lows set in the area. The coldest Jan. 5 on record for Bergenfield was 10 degrees in 1989 and for Hawthorne was negative 6 degrees set in 1904, according to Bob Ziff of the North Jersey Weather Observers.

Saturday will have the lowest temperature of the weekend at zero degrees, with the windchill bringing it down to feeling like 15 to 20 below.

"Usually we get our coldest and stormiest weather mid-January to third week of February, so this weekend's cold is slightly ahead of schedule," Ziff said.

Winds up to 45 miles per hour were predicted for Friday, with Saturday's gusts almost as strong.

"You’re in that range where it’s not just uncomfortable," Dombek said. "It’s the type of thing where that type of cold, if you’re not prepared for it and you’re out for too long of a time, it can be dangerous."

The wind threatens to blow the snow that came down Thursday back on the roads Friday, creating another difficult situation for drivers.

The intense cold comes on the heels of a snowstorm that dropped between 3 and 8 inches in North Jersey. Haworth received some of the heaviest totals at 8.1 inches.

The storm caused a myriad of issues through the region as a state of emergency was declared in the state by Gov. Chris Christie. The wind blew the roof off a gas station in Garfield. Vehicles could not make it up the hill on Route 208 in Hawthorne.

An overturned truck in Saddle River was just one of the accidents during the storm. New Jersey State Police responded to more than 300 crashes Thursday and 700 motorists stuck in the snow who needed help.

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The snow also meant plenty of shoveling and plowing.

“I shoveled three times,” Juan Aparicio of North Arlington said. “After half an hour, it became covered again.”

“The roads were awful,” added Bryan Keil, who reported passing accidents on Interstate 80 and Route 3 while driving his pickup truck to his job in Bergen County. “I own a Camry, but today was not the day to drive it.”

State offices were closed along with several airports and virtually all schools through the area.

The weather issues won't stop Thursday, however. The extreme cold will lead to its own problems through the weekend, including health risks.

Dr. Raghu Varma of St. Mary's General Hospital in Passaic said they saw people admitted during the storm and anticipates more during the weekend's coldest stretch.

"I’m expecting more people to come in with breathing problems because of the windchills,” he said. “People are being sensible and have stayed inside. But once it stops and they start to move around, I expect to see some volume.”

To avoid paying a visit to the emergency room, Varma cautioned those to think twice about going out.

Frozen pipes can leave homes without water service in the worst weather of winter. North Jersey residents can prepare by making sure that irrigation systems and outdoor water service spigots are shut off, insulating areas that have pipes, and knowing how to shut off the water at home.

If the pipes do freeze, shut off the water immediately, use warm air to thaw them, and contact a plumber if needed.

ROOF BLOWS OFF: Garfield gas station roof blows off in snow storm

Driving through the gusts of snow blown off the ground could prove tricky again for Friday morning's commute. New Jersey Transit had weather-related delays Thursday but did not announce any delays for Friday.

Laguardia and John F. Kennedy airports closed Thursday but were expected to open by Friday morning.

Staff writers Keldy Ortiz, Kaitlyn Kanzler, Kristie Cattaffi, Matt Kadosh and Sarah Nolan contributed to this report.

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com