'Dangerous' Cold From Arctic Blast May Bring NJ's Wind Chills 25 Below Zero

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is about to get a harsh reminder it is still winter when a blast of Arctic air barrels in later this week, bringing "dangerous" wind chill values as low as 25 degrees below zero, according to forecasts.

The frigid blast will approach the region late Thursday night into early Friday morning, with temperatures dipping the lowest Friday night through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Friday night may also feature gusts of 35-40 mph.

Friday will begin with early-morning highs in the 30s, which will fall throughout the day into the teens and then into single digits by evening, the National Weather Service predicts.

Overnight Friday into Saturday, wind chill values could dip to 25 degrees below zero in northwestern Jersey and as low as 15 degrees below zero across the rest of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are AccuWeather's projections:

"People who will be spending any length of time outdoors should be prepared for the extreme cold, which can be dangerous for those with pulmonary conditions, experts warn," AccuWeather warns. "The risk of frostbite on exposed skin will be very high with the event from Friday night to Saturday."

In terms of coldness, the Arctic blast could rival the week before Christmas. But forecasters anticipate that it won't last as long, with temperatures moderating back to normal by Sunday.

Here's the National Weather Service's latest North Jersey forecast:

• Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. Southwest wind 5 to 14 mph.
• Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Southwest wind around 14 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a temperature falling to around 19 by 5 p.m. Blustery, with a northwest wind 20 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 6.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 24.
• Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.

Here's the agency's latest South Jersey forecast:

• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.
• Thursday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 32. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 12. Blustery.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 26.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Breezy.