Northeast expects bitter (and possibly record) cold on Thanksgiving

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Northeast will possibly see record cold weather on Thanksgiving, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

A front extending from the lower Great Lakes to the Mississippi Valley will move southeastward by Thursday, causing a cold front to come in. The result will be temperatures 10 to 25 degrees below normal across the Northeast on Thursday and Friday.

"The system will produce snow over the Great Lakes into parts of Northern New England that will move off the Northeast coast by Thanksgiving morning. In the wake of the storm very cold high pressure will move southeastward from Western Ontario to the Northern Mid-Atlantic by Thanksgiving evening," a NWS statement said.

A winter weather advisory was posted for Buffalo, N.Y., and surrounding areas with temperatures expected in the low 20s, which would be the city's coldest Thanksgiving in 50 years. While persistent snow is not predicted, the forecast calls for 40 mph wind gusts and reduced driving visibility.

New York City was forecast for a windy Wednesday with a temperature of about 40 degrees, followed by themercury dipping into the 20s and wind chills in the single digits Thursday.

New York's capital region, including Albany, similarly expects record lows Thursday after snow arrives Wednesday. The predicted daytime Thursday temperature of 19 degrees would break a Thanksgiving Day record set in 1901, with a night temperature of 5 degrees expected. The wind chill late Thursday could be near zero.

Snow squalls in Massachusetts will bring heavy snow whiteout conditions and slippery roads, forecasters said. After that storm passes, the region will get below-zero wind chill.