Intrepid revelers from around the world endured hours of waiting in a frigid Times Square on Sunday to witness the glittering New Year's Eve ball make its annual descent at midnight, undeterred and perhaps reassured by a massive police presence.
With New York City in the grip of a bitterly cold Arctic air mass, the experience was made particularly memorable this year for hundreds of thousands of people who braved the bone-chilling conditions to witness a century-old tradition.
In the waning hours of 2017, the mercury had plunged to -12°C, with a "Real Feel" of 7F, according to AccuWeather.com. That made it the city's second-coldest New Year's Eve on record after 1917, when the mercury in Times Square dropped to -17°C.
About 2 million people were expected in the vicinity of Times Square, the bow-tie-shaped plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
The crowds counted down the final hours of 2017 with a lineup of live musical acts including Nick Jonas, Neil Diamond and Andy Grammer.
Mariah Carey returned to the Times Square stage as well, pulling off a smooth performance after the embarrassment of last year's technical difficulties.
Then came the long-awaited ball drop, a tradition that dates to 1907, three years after New Yorkers started gathering en masse in Times Square to usher in the new year.
People hoping to see musical acts and other entertainment up close in Times Square had to pass by heavily armed officers and dogs. They went through a magnetometer to check for weapons, had their bags inspected, then repeated all those steps a second time.
Police cars, dump trucks filled with sand and cement blocks were used to close streets, starting Sunday morning. About 125 parking garages in the area were emptied of all cars and sealed.
Brynn Hansen, 14, from Longmont, Colorado, appeared unfazed by the heightened security and the trying conditions. She said she was living a dream.
"It's been on my bucket list, and now I can cross it off. It's exciting to be here."
