At least 18 people now dead as historic New York cold stretch nears end | New York

The death toll from the dangerous and persistent cold weather hitting New York City rises to 18, officials announced Sunday.

The growing number of deaths has come as a stark reminder of the danger posed by sub-zero temperatures gripping the region, which has been subjected to one of the longest periods of freezing cold since 1961.

The most recent death involved a person found around 9 a.m. Saturday in the Bronx, a city hall official said. Separately, an 81-year-old Brooklyn man was found dead on the roof of his apartment building, where police believe he slipped on ice while carrying a bag of groceries, authorities said.

The freezing conditions in question are a departure from most recent winters for New Yorkers. In 2020, the city was classified as a humid subtropical climate zone. But the last few weeks have been anything but tropical.

On January 19, New York City officials declared what they called a “code blue” due to the intense cold. The declaration prohibits anyone from being denied access to shelter and restricts police from preventing people from sheltering on the subway. Homeless outreach teams also actively roam the streets, focusing on vulnerable and homeless people – and non-emergency 311 calls are routed to emergency 911.

Over the weekend, temperatures in the Big Apple reached new lows, with parts of Antarctica warmer than the city. The National Weather Service (NWS) said temperatures were 10 to 15 F below average, with lows around 5 F (-15 C) and winds causing “felt” temperatures as low as -20 F (-29 C). Such intense cold can lead to hypothermia and frostbite in as little as 15 minutes.

An extreme cold alert was issued from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday, marking the first time the alert has been used since its inception in 2024.

The deaths in the Arctic explosion constitute a first test for the municipal administration of Zohran Mamdani. Before the weekend freeze, Mamdani’s office announced that 60 new hotel rooms would be opened to shelter unhoused people, as well as 62 warming centers. And during his press briefing on Friday, Mamdani made a personal appeal to those considering braving the cold.

“To those who consider themselves more comfortable on the streets, I want to speak directly to you,” he said. “Come in. These temperatures are too low and too dangerous to survive.”