Dangerously Cold Temperatures & Wind Chills Expected City Provides Options To Stay Safe

The National Weather Service, Gray, ME has issued a Wind Chill Watch for the City of Manchester effective from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. An arctic cold front will cross the region Thursday night and drive temperatures downward through Saturday morning. The bitter cold combined with gusty winds will likely lead to widespread dangerously cold wind chills beginning Friday afternoon for southern portions of the State. The latest forecast information can be found at https://www.weather.gov/gyx.

The Manchester Fire Department will be conducting fatality prevention outreach in the city during daytime hours.

Check on your family, friends, and neighbors, especially those at elevated risks such as the very young, and elderly, individuals remaining outdoors for extended periods of time, and those who have underlying health conditions.

Exposure to frigid temperatures can cause hypothermia and frostbite. If you must be outside, dress in several layers of loose-fitting warm, dry clothing. Cover body parts most often affected by frostbite such as your head, nose, ears, cheeks, and chin, as well as hands and feet. If you or someone else is experiencing hypothermia or frostbite seek medical attention as soon as possible.

If you must use an alternative heating source, the Fire Prevention Division encourages residents to keep flammable items at least 3 feet away from the heat source. Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed, plug portable space heaters directly into an outlet, not an extension cord, and use portable space heaters with an automatic shut-off.

Extreme cold weather may also lead to frozen water pipes, such as those in exposed outdoor areas, unheated interior areas, or pipes that run against exterior walls with little to no insulation. If your pipes do freeze, do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, or other open flame devices to attempt to thaw the pipe.