As 2014 comes to a close and people begin preparations to ring in the New Year, many will have to bundle up as cold weather stretches from the Southwest to the Midwest. The end to this year will definitely be a very chilly one.

If you plan to celebrate the beginning of a New Year in an outdoor setting, such as Times Square, make sure that you are properly dressed for the occasion from head to toe. Waves of arctic air will move across the western and central United States during the first half of the week, and they may even extend as far as the Mexican Border.

But, the colder and average temperatures for this season will progress into the Northeast for the New Year. Luckily for motorists and people traveling by flight, there are no major storms that are looming in the distance to corrupt the holiday travel plans. This is good news for those planning to travel throughout the United States prior to the New Year because there will be few to none weather-related delays.

If you reside in the Northeast and Midwest then you will definitely want to dress warmly on New Year’s Eve, as the temperatures are predicted to drop down into the 20s and teens over much of that region during the night. Incoming wind gusts from the western region will make it feel even colder to those outside, and it may feel as though the temperatures are in the single digits when combining the temperature with wind chill.

cold temperatures

It is a good sign that dry conditions can be expected to accompany the chilly weather. There may be some lake effect snow that occurs around the Great Lakes, but no significant accumulations are expected.

As for the Southeast, they will experience the warmest temperatures of the bunch with temperatures above freezing on Wednesday night. South Florida will be the warmest spot to ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve, as they are predicted to maintain temperatures in the 60s; which is just a few degrees above the normal temperature for this time of year.

The coldest air that the Plains, Northwest, and Rockies have experienced in weeks will close out this year and will continue for a couple of days into 2015. As for the lows, they will bottom out in the single digits across most of the region with the exception of being along the coast of the Northwest.

Anybody who is heading outside on Wednesday night should definitely wear hats, gloves, and layers of clothing to keep them protected from the harsh cold. If you spend long periods of time outside without proper protection, you can run the risk of experiencing frost bite or hypothermia.

Updated: December 30, 2014 — 3:10 pm
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