Officials Urge Caution As Arctic Air Blankets Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Officials are urging caution as a bitter blast of arctic air blankets the Tri-State area.
The deep freeze is only going to get worse with the coldest conditions expected over the weekend. Forecasters say the wind chill could make it feel as low as 25 to 30 below zero in some spots with wind gusts that could reach between 35 and 45 miles per hour.
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"I should be in Florida," Christin Williams, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, told CBS2's Vanessa Murdock.
The Armstrongs from Canada said they know exactly was 20 below feels like.
"It feels like mice have eaten your feet off," said Sherly Armstrong.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory from 4 p.m. Saturday until noon Sunday for New York City, parts of New Jersey and Long Island.
A wind chill warning is also in effect for southern Connecticut, northeastern New Jersey and much of the lower Hudson Valley.
Mount Sinai Emergency Room physician Dr. Ruben Olmedo said when the mercury drops as lows as it's predicted, it can take just minutes for frostbite or even hypothermia to set it in.
"It doesn't take that long to get you very cold, especially your extremities," he told CBS2's Janelle Burrell. "Keep yourself warm, wear multiple layers, get yourself hydrated very well."
Hypothermia takes 1,300 lives a year, according to the National Weather Service.
"I think it's best to be indoors, snuggling up and keep as warm as you can," said Hwesu Samuel Murray, of Mount Vernon.
The extremely cold weather isn't stopping die-hard skiers and snowboarders at Mountain Creek in Vernon New Jersey.
"It was freezing but it was a lot of fun," Hope Peterson, of Marlborough, told CBS2's Brian Conybeare.
Peterson and her family spent six hours on the slopes Friday with temperatures in the teens. But with the wind chill predicted to be well below zero on Saturday she says she has to draw the line.
"We would love to come skiing again, but not tomorrow," Peterson said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also warning residents to take caution, urging them to heat their homes safely, watch out for their neighbors and not to underestimate how dangerous this cold can be.
"These can be life-threatening conditions," said de Blasio. "People have to take this very, very seriously. This is really abnormal, and these are dangerous conditions."
The mayor said, if possible, stay indoors as much as you can.
"There are particular risks to seniors, to infants, to people with cardiovascular or lung conditions," he said.
The mayor is urging anyone without heat to call 311 so that repairs can be made before the temperature drops even further.
FDNY Lt. Frank Manetta said heating is the second leading cause of home fires in the winter.
"Many times, we'll find space heaters too close to combustible material," he said.
Space heaters should be at least 3 feet away from anything that can catch fire and plugged into the wall, not an extension cord.
And don't use your stove for heat, Manetta said. If there's a flame, there is a potential for fire, and carbon monoxide could be a problem, too. Keep items clear of your burner.
You know the mercury has really dropped when the annual Central Park Ice Festival is canceled -- because it's too cold, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.
Anita Jordan said she doesn't have to be told to stay inside.
"It's too cold, too cold," she said.
Those who have to go outside are making sure to bundle up. For people like Pedro Morales, that means not leaving home without his ski mask.
"I would recommend them -- very, very highly," he said.
"I kind of got used to the mild winter, and this is definitely a shock," another man told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond.
But others said they actually don't mind the cold.
"It's OK. It's been a warm winter, so the cold will take the wrinkles away," a cab driver told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck.
De Blasio said the city is also activating its Code Blue status through Sunday in an effort to reach the homeless and get them off the streets.
In addition, warming centers are open around the area.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said warming centers are open there over the weekend, too. For a full list, click here. Suffolk County officials are also warning residents to stay safe as the temperatures drop.
In Jersey City, warming centers, senior centers and public libraries are open to the public Friday and Saturday. For a full list, click here.
In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy has activated the state's cold-weather shelter plan through 10 a.m. Monday.
"The next few days will certainly be the coldest we have seen so far this winter season and could be among the coldest nights in terms of wind chill that our state has experienced in several years," Malloy said in a statement. "Those in need of shelter or a warming center should call 211 to find available locations, which are open throughout the state."
Under the plan, state officials work with Connecticut's network of shelters to make sure the most vulnerable residents are protected from the cold.
For more information, click here.
