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Arctic air set to strike North Fork as temperatures plummet

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Locals will have to bundle up for the next few days as an arctic blast could set record low temperatures for the area.

The temperature is expected to drop by as much as 50 degrees from Monday into Tuesday morning, possibly bottoming out in the single digits, weather experts said.

Wind chills could make it feel as cold as 10 to 15 degrees below zero, far below the seasonal averages normally in the 30s.

“These are conditions you don’t want to stay outside too long in,” said meteorologist David Stark with the National Weather Service.

Temperature readings reached a high of 56 degrees in Upton Monday afternoon, but began dropping steadily in the afternoon. By midnight, the mercury could drop into the 20s, he said.

“When you see such drastic changes like this, it’s due to a very distinct boundary between two different air masses,” Mr. Stark said, noting the drop in temperatures is “significant.”

“This is not a common thing to see,” he said.

The weather isn’t expected to improve into Wednesday either, Mr. Stark said.

“If we get down into the single digits and lower teens we could be setting record lows on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8,” he said. Those conditions could easily lead to frostbite or hypothermia.

Eastern parts of the North Fork could see snow flurries during the day on Tuesday, and will likely see warmer temperatures but harsher winds.

On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to rebound into the 20s, reaching the 30s and 40s by the end of the week.