Albany, N.Y. — Travel across central and eastern New York turns hazardous Saturday morning as extreme cold surges along Route 28 from Herkimer through Old Forge, with wind chills crashing between 25 and 35 below zero from the southern Adirondacks into the Catskills. The most dangerous conditions set in after 7 a.m. Saturday and persist through early Sunday afternoon, creating life-threatening exposure risks for anyone stranded along mountain highways.
The National Weather Service in Albany said the Extreme Cold Warning covers the southern Adirondacks, Mohawk Valley, Schoharie County, Helderbergs and eastern Catskills through 1 p.m. Sunday. A second wave expands Saturday evening into the Taconic Range and mid-Hudson Valley, including western Massachusetts, northwestern Connecticut and southern Vermont, where wind chills plunge toward 30 below overnight.
State and county officials warned that breakdowns or crashes along Route 28, Route 30, Route 23A and the Taconic State Parkway quickly become medical emergencies. Vehicles lose heat rapidly, batteries fail, and exposed skin can suffer frostbite in as little as 10 minutes. Bridge decks and shaded mountain cuts intensify the danger as drivers slow to preserve control in brittle cold.
The cold concentrates across communities including Old Forge, Big Moose, North Creek, Long Lake and Wells in the Adirondacks; Cobleskill, Middleburgh and Prattsville along Schoharie routes; and Hunter, Tannersville and Windham in the Catskills. Farther south and east, impacts spread into Kingston, New Paltz, Great Barrington, Bennington and Dover Plains as the warning expands Saturday night.
Officials urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, carry winter survival kits, and keep pets indoors. The extreme cold eases gradually Sunday afternoon as winds relax, but subfreezing conditions linger into early next week.
