Chilling Trouble: NYC Faces Tragedy from Extreme Cold

Wed Feb 11 2026 02:47:08 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

New York City is grappling with an extreme cold spell that has claimed 18 lives, making headlines as temperatures drop below freezing for over a week. Residents are urged to stay safe and keep warm.

New York City is currently experiencing a severe cold snap, resulting in 18 deaths since late January. The city has witnessed its longest streak of below-freezing temperatures in 60 years. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has raised concerns, urging residents to remain indoors and look out for each other while additional shelter accommodations have been made for the homeless. As temperatures are expected to rise slightly, safety remains a priority.

New York City Faces Tragedy from Extreme Cold

A total of 18 people have died as a result of a period of extreme cold weather in New York City, its mayor has said. Since late January, the city has endured a cold snap, including 13 days of temperatures of 0C (32F) or below – one of the longest stretches of sub-zero weather New York has seen in six decades.

While temperatures are set to rise this week, they remain below average, with Mamdani telling residents to stay safe, stay indoors... and keep looking out for one another. The mayor added that since January 19, when a Code Blue emergency was announced, about 1,400 placements had been made into shelters, with 64 hotel rooms added to the city's capacity.

The US National Weather Service indicated a rise in temperatures to around 0C, although a dangerous wind chill factor persists, advising residents to remain cautious of potential hypothermia and frostbite risks.