Cold alert issued — temperatures to feel like -30 C overnight in Hamilton
Hamilton's medical officer of health has issued another cold alert - the sixth this month - as temperatures are expected to dip to -22 C but feeling like -30, by Saturday morning.
The alert is for Friday and will remain active until a cancellation notice is issued.
Residents risk frostbite and hypothermia if they are outside, warns the MOH. Stay indoors and if you are outside, dress in layers and protect your face, ears, hands and feet. Wool socks are recommended to keep feet dry.
Cold weather alerts happen when temperatures are at or below -15 C or -20 C with wind chill.
Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng says surprisingly, it is far from the coldest January in recent memory.
The average nighttime low in January 2022 ranks 12th all-time at -11.4 C, with 2014 and 2015 - at -12.4 C and -11.8 C, respectively - each edging into the top -10. The coldest average nighttime low for January was in 1994 at a frigid -19.8 C.
It is possible Hamilton breaks that average if the forecaster is correct in predicting the low Saturday morning to reach -22, -30 with wind chill, around 7 a.m.
The weather service is calling for sunny but cold conditions Friday and Saturday with temperatures near -9 through the day Friday and -11 Saturday. The wind chill is expected to sit around -20 Friday afternoon.
Residents are reminded by public health to check on vulnerable family, friends and neighbours in the community as exposure to cold weather can be harmful and the wind always makes it feel colder, increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.
In a release, the city said agencies working with people experiencing homelessness or who are vulnerable have been notified of the alert so they can activate cold weather procedures.
Bennetto Recreation Centre, 450 Hughson St. N., is open as an overnight warming centre from 5 p.m. until noon the following day until the alert is cancelled. The city has also made available the following warming centres, open from noon until 7 p.m. during the cold alert:
- Dominic Agostino Riverdale Community Centre, 150 Violet Dr.;
- Huntington Park Recreation Centre, 87 Brentwood Dr.;
- Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre, 192 Wentworth St. N.;
- and Westmount Recreation Centre, 35 Lynbrook Dr.
The Hub at 78 Vine St., and Wesley Day Centre, 52 Catharine St. N., also offer a warm place with hours extended during a cold alert, the city adds.
For more information about the city's response to cold weather warnings, visit hamilton.ca/cold.
Members of the public can report the location of a person in need of shelter to the Salvation Army at 905-527-1444, ext. 0.
Water pipes can also freeze during extreme cold and the City of Hamilton's website offers these tips to homeowners. Make sure you shut off and drain all outdoor taps; wrap pipes in insulation; open a faucet to allow a small trickle of water to flow through the pipes; and open interior doors to let heat from the house warm unprotected pipes in cold cellars and other similar areas.
- with files from Sebastian Bron
Jennifer Moore is an editorial assistant at The Spectator. jmoore@thespec.com