Cold Weather Alert - January 10, 2015

HAMILTON ON – January 10, 2016 - The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton is issuing a Cold Weather Alert effective overnight tonight.  A Cold Alert is issued when current or anticipated weather conditions are at or below -15°C or -20°C with wind chill.  

Weather: The temperature will continue to drop this afternoon, reaching a low of -10°C, - 21°C with windchill in the early hours of Monday morning.  The current forecast anticipates that this cold snap may last until Wednesday evening. This alert will remain in effect until a cancellation notice is issued.

Wind always makes it feel colder, and increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. 

To lower the risk during cold weather, you should:

• Dress in layers of clothing.  Keep inner layers dry.  Wet clothing increases the risk of cold injury.
• Protect you face, ears and hands with a scarf, hat, and gloves. 
• To protect your feet, socks must be dry.  Wool is a good material to keep your feet dry.

The City of Hamilton has notified community agencies who work with vulnerable and homeless people.  Each of those agencies, including Salvation Army, will implement their policies and procedures with regards to cold weather. The City of Hamilton Recreation Centres are available during regular hours for those who need to keep warm and the MacNab Transit Terminal will stay open until HSR service ends.

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.

For more information, visit www.hamilton.ca/cold