A blast of arctic weather is headed this way Friday night into Saturday morning as a “ dangerously cold air mass” settles over the region, bringing with it wind chill values that may fall to as low as 15 below zero.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for Friday evening into Saturday morning.
High temperatures Friday are expected to be only in the 20s, falling to about 15 by evening and then drop into the single digits Friday night and early Saturday morning, with a low of about 4 degrees, the weather service said. Blustery northwest winds to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph will produce wind chill values of -5 to -15 Friday evening into the overnight hours, according to the NWS forecast.
The Town of Riverhead will open the senior center on Shade Tree Lane as a warming shelter Friday. It will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the town said in a press release.
With temperatures and wind chill values falling as low as forecast Friday evening and early Saturday, frostbite can occur in as little as 30 minutes, the weather service said. People should remain indoors if at all possible. Anyone in need of shelter can call the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500.
Remember to bring pets indoors in frigid temperatures. If left unattended outdoors they can get frostbite or become disorientated and freeze to death, the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said.
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