Related
- Blistering wind, cold recorded on Mount Washington
- Brookline police reach out to those in need during ongoing cold snap
- New England ski resorts limiting operations as brutally cold weather hits the region
- Doctors warn of frostbite as extreme weather hits Mass.
- Boston shelters gear up for expected extreme cold
- Experts share cold weather home preparation, pet safety tips ahead of bitter blast
BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston has declared a cold emergency ahead of a wave of Arctic air set to roll across this weekend.
The emergency will run from Friday through Sunday. Boston will have warming centers open during the emergency and Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday on GBH that South Station in Boston will remain open overnight for those needing shelter from potentially dangerous frigid temperatures.
“It’s a matter of basic humanity in my view,” Healey said.
With the sudden freeze looming, Healey said she recently connected with South Station officials, the private security company that works at the station, and Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Cofounder Jim O’Connell to reverse a policy that previously had the station locking up at 11 p.m.
“I am going to be clear, if we face extreme weather, we are going to be allowing people to stay there overnight,” Healey said.
Cold air combined with wind will send wind chill values plunging below zero degrees beginning Friday night. Cold weather is forecast to linger through the weekend, with the coldest temperatures seen Friday night and Saturday morning, when wind chills could dip between -20 and -30 degrees. Warmer temperatures are expected to sweep in on Sunday, with highs climbing above 40 degrees.
“Boston is moving quickly to ensure that everyone is protected from the intense cold weather that will start Friday and last through the weekend,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.
Wu thanked various groups in Boston working to prepare for the cold weather. She also urged Boston residents to take precautions and check on neighbors in the coming days.
Cold weather, Wu warned, will bring an increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite for some, including those experiencing homelessness, the elderly and young children. The cold could also exacerbate health issues for some in high-risk populations, Wu said.
Boston has a threshold in place to declare a cold emergency when forecasts call for one or more days with wind chill temperatures at or below -10 degrees.
Wu said anyone who sees people experiencing homelessness out in the cold during the upcoming cold emergency should call 911. Anyone aware of individuals staying in a vehicle “or a place not intended for living” this weekend should also call 911, Wu said.
Boston Centers for Youth & Families will open warming centers during normal operating hours around the city.
Wu noted on Wednesday that the Boston Public Library will also be open during normal operating hours.
Both the Southampton Street Shelter for men over 18 years of age and the Woods Mullen Shelter for women over 18 years of age are also open 24-hours a day. Anyone with a non-violent restriction needing shelter may come in, Wu said.
The Pine Street Inn in Boston will have mobile outreach vehicles on the street this weekend with extended hours. The Engagement Center on Atkinson Street will operate with extended hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Outreach workers, Wu said, have been working with people experiencing homelessness in Boston’s Mass and Cass area to let them know about the cold and available resources.
The Boston Police Department is additionally planning to be on the lookout for people on the streets. Police plan to conduct wellness checks, to coordinate with emergency medical personnel and to transport individuals to available shelters during the cold.
Police will be passing out gloves, hats, jackets and hand warmers.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)