A wind chill warning is in effect through Saturday afternoon across northern New York and Vermont. Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 degrees below zero are expected. In these conditions, frostbite can occur quickly — in as little as 10 minutes on exposed skin — and even hypothermia if proper precautions are not taken.
The Twin Cities have the following resources available to the community in anticipation of the dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are expected in our area:
Warming shelters in Montpelier
Another Way, 125 Barre St., open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 802-229-0920
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., during normal business hours
Christ Church, 64 State St.
Montpelier Transit Center, 64 Taylor St., open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., additional hours: 6:30 to 9 p.m., weekends from 5 to 9 p.m.
Warming shelters in Barre
Good Samaritan, 105 N. Seminary St., 802-479-2294, open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., weekends from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Aldrich Library, 6 Washington St., open Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Montpelier Police Department and the Montpelier Fire Department will be available to transport people needing assistance getting to warming/overnight shelters. Please call the Montpelier Police Department Dispatch at 802-223-3445 if you need transportation assistance.
Additional resources
For additional assistance or information about resources for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing fragility, call:
Vermont 211.
Barre Homelessness Task Force Chair Ericka Reil, 802-839-9504.
Montpelier Homelessness Task Force member Dawn Little, 802-595-0175.
If you notice power lines down on the street or sidewalk or obstructing traffic, please report it to 911 immediately.
If you have lost power in your home or notice low-hanging power lines, call Green Mountain Power or Washington Electric Co-op.
Safety tips
The American Red Cross wants to remind everyone to prepare for the intense cold. Below are safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe during this bitter blast.
Winter weather can bring life-threatening conditions. Stay indoors and wear layers of loose fitting, lightweight warm clothes.
Assemble an emergency preparedness kit.
Check on relatives, neighbors and friends, particularly if they are elderly or live alone.
Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling snow, pushing a vehicle or walking in deep snow.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windowsills to keep cold air out. Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to provide an extra layer of insulation to keep cold air out.
Make sure you have enough heating fuel on hand.
If possible, bring your pets inside during cold winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas and make sure they have access to nonfrozen drinking water. If the animals are outside, make sure their access to food and water is not blocked by snow drifts, ice or other obstacles.
Going outside
If you must go outside, protect yourself from winter storm hazards.
Wear layered clothing, mittens or gloves, and a hat. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Mittens or gloves and a hat will prevent the loss of body heat.
Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from severely cold air. Avoid taking deep breaths; minimize talking.
Watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses much of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly away from the body.
Stretch before you go out. If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body. This will reduce your chances of muscle injury.
Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a vehicle, or walking in deep snow. The strain from the cold and the hard labor may cause a heart attack. Sweating could lead to a chill and hypothermia.
Walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks. Slips and falls occur frequently in winter weather, resulting in painful and sometimes disabling injuries.
Don’t drive unless necessary.
