17 Dead as New York City Endures Longest Deep Freeze in Years

New York City is grappling with a deadly cold emergency after an unrelenting Arctic outbreak has claimed at least 17 lives since mid-January, officials confirmed Monday.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the tragic death toll as the city continues battling one of its most prolonged and dangerous cold spells in recent memory. The brutal conditions have pushed emergency response systems to their limits and left vulnerable populations fighting for survival on the streets.

Historic Cold Grips the Big Apple

Sunday morning brought particularly perilous conditions to New York City when the Real Feel Temperature plummeted to a staggering 21 degrees below zero in Central Park. This marks the second-lowest Real Feel reading recorded in the city since recordkeeping began in 1990.

While actual air temperatures didn't shatter any official records, the combination of bitter cold, strong winds, and low humidity created a dangerous situation that meteorologists warn can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 8 minutes. Extended exposure under these conditions rapidly leads to hypothermia, a life-threatening emergency.