NYC faces record-breaking cold today

NYC faces record-breaking cold today
Central Park high of 59 would tie mark for chilliest August high ever

Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21.

The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers.

Tuesday's high temperature in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67.

"This unusual blast of cold air smashed our previous record for the coldest high temperature on August 21, which is 64 degrees, set back in 1999," CBS 2 meteorologist Jason Cali told wcbstv.com.

In fact, the 59-degree high tied the record for the coldest high temperature ever for the month of August in New York City, when it reached just 59 degrees in 1911.

Today's highs are more common in the city for the final days of October, when the average high ranges from 59 degrees to 61 degrees.

The unusually cold air mass has come down from Canada, colliding with the moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin.

"The good news is the cold air is not going to stick around. We'll get back to more seasonal levels later this week and we may even sneak a few more final hot weekends of the summer," Cali said.

Temperatures are expected to climb back into the 90s by Friday.