Temperatures remain bitterly cold across Vermont after extreme cold hit the region on Thursday.
Tyler Danzig, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington, said temperatures dropped into the negative teens on Thursday night, with negative 20s across the central and northern areas of Vermont. Wind chills reached -25 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Caledonia County and -13 degrees at the Burlington Airport.
The extreme cold on Thursday was mostly due to the previous snow, which kept ground temperatures cool, and wind chills, according to Danzig. But the National Weather Service didn’t issue a cold weather advisory because only some areas in the Northeast Kingdom reached the threshold of -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
These temperatures are not uncommon for Vermont in the winter, Danzig said, but he still recommended people to cover their face in higher winds to avoid frostbites, wear several layers of clothes and make sure pets are inside.
The Office of Economic Opportunity at the Department for Children and Families has recently created a new Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, in partnership with Vermont Interfaith Action, to support people experiencing homelessness during periods of extreme cold.
The program will operate from Dec. 1 to April 1, when temperatures reach at least -10 degrees, with projects in Bennington, Burlington, Newport, Rutland, Barre, Montpelier and Brattleboro, Lily Sojourner, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, said.
The shelters in Barre and Brattleboro opened for the first time Thursday night and provided relief for 26 people, according to Sojourner. Sojourner said this program is just one of many others operating this winter, including the General Assistance Emergency Hotel Program and seasonal shelters across the state.
Tess Taylor, homeless and housing liaison for the city of Barre, said the shelter at the Congregational Church also hosted people in need on Thursday. The space has a capacity of 12 people and will continue to operate when temperatures are around zero, providing food, cots and blankets, Taylor said.
“Low temperatures tonight will fall into the single digits across much of Vermont, with temperatures in the Northeast Kingdom around five to 10, then across the central portions of Vermont around 10 degrees,” Danzig said.
Monday night temperatures might get lower again, he added.
