PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After two rounds of snow over the weekend, a bitter cold is beginning to settle in.
Cold winds will usher in bone-chilling temperatures Monday night into Tuesday morning. Wind gusts will range from 25 to 35 mph, with chills as low as -15 degrees. The low will be 14 degrees, with temperatures easing in the afternoon, reaching about 24 degrees.
The Philly region is under a Cold Weather Advisory until Tuesday at 10 a.m. A Code Blue is still in effect.
If you have to go outside, be sure to layer up and limit your exposure time. If you see anyone without shelter, the city has activated additional resources, including warming centers. Four are open overnight — in North Philly, Kensington, Rhawnhurst and Point Breeze.
There are also after-hours homeless intake centers for families in North Philly and East Germantown. Single men can go to an after-hours center in North Philly, and single women, to one in West Philly.
Jeremy Montgomery, president and CEO of Philly House, the city’s largest homeless shelter, warned of what can happen when people are too exposed to the cold.
“Frostbite and loss of extremities. We certainly have experienced seeing those walk through our doors that are trying to brave the elements and aren’t so successful,” he said.
If you see someone who needs assistance, you can call 215-232-1984 to dispatch care workers. But people aren’t the only ones at risk during these extreme weather conditions. If you have a pet, you should only let them out for a few minutes.
“If you let your dogs out to go for a potty break, don’t just let them sit out in the yard for hours. You should be supervising them. Dogs should be inside for the rest of the time, with it being so cold outside,” said Philly Sarah Barnett, executive director of ACCT Philly.
For more information on special measures the city is implementing, click here.