Ice storm coats the South of New England as it braces for a ‘wicked’ deep freeze

Ice storm coats the South of New England as it braces for a ‘wicked’ deep freeze.

The Northeast of the United States braced for a historic deep freeze on Thursday, with wind chills expected to reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-46 Celsius) in some areas, while freezing rain in the South left thousands without power and turned roads into ice rinks.

 

The National Weather Service forecasted dangerous wind chills from northern Pennsylvania to Maine beginning early Friday and lasting through Saturday evening.

 

‘The wind chills could be once-in-a-generation cold,’ the weather service warned, urging people to stay indoors or take precautions against frostbite and hypothermia. The combined effect of wind and cold temperatures on exposed skin is described by the wind chill factor.

 

Wind chills of -110 degrees Fahrenheit and wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour were expected at Mount Washington State Park in New Hampshire, which sits atop the Northeast’s highest peak.