There’s a lot of excitement over watching the Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve. But that’s not the only drop we’ll be watching tonight. First, come the raindrops. Then, the temperature drops.
After a dry afternoon, rain moves into the region just as the New Year’s Eve festivities pick up momentum. Rain in the city will start around the dinner hour – 7 p.m. And it’ll last right up to midnight.
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If you are among the projected one million revelers braving the elements to ring in the New Year in Times Square, umbrellas are not allowed; you’ve got to pack the ponchos instead.
Thankfully, we are not looking ahead to any flooding rainfall, but the rain could get heavy at times. With about a half inch of rain possible, if you don’t have rain gear on it’ll be a soggy, squishy evening for you. And even the mild temperatures – near 50 degrees – will feel chilly.
While rain could get heavy at times, severe weather is unlikely. However, a rumble of thunder or two is possible mid- to late-evening. The areas most at risk for severe weather will be well south of New York City.
South Jersey, including Ocean County, may get an isolated severe storm, with damaging wind and hail the threats to watch. To be extra cautious, it would be a good idea to make sure you have a way to get weather warnings on your phone. The NBC New York app is a great tool for that.
As the clock strikes midnight, temperatures in NYC will be near 50 degrees, which is not unusual considering ball-drop temperatures in recent years. That said, it is well above normal and a far cry from the single digits we had in 2017.
Tri-state temperatures will stay above freezing all night. That means we won’t have to worry about any wintry mixing or overnight icing on the roads as revelers head home.
But these mild, above-freezing, temperatures will not be staying with us very long once we welcome 2025. A persistent WNW wind will usher in much colder, arctic air as we progress through the rest of the week and the start of 2025.
By the weekend, high temperatures will struggle to reach the freezing mark.
