Baltimore declared a Code Purple Winter Shelter Activation Thursday as parts of Maryland braced for a cold snap.
The alert means select warming centers in the city are reopened.
Baltimore shoppers react to cold temps
On Thursday, lots of last-minute shoppers were out preparing for their Thanksgiving meal as the next big chill approached Baltimore.
Those traveling to Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and western parts of Maryland for the holiday should expect temperatures “leaning below” normal, per the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS warned that a polar vortex hitting the U.S. this week would bring chilly temperatures and snow in some regions. It comes as AAA projects record holiday traffic.
“When I’m not home, I can turn the thermostat down, and when I’m on my way back home to New Jersey, I crank the heat up, and it’s nice and toasty,” said William and Yvonne Bell.
The couple is in Baltimore, visiting from New Jersey, and told WJZ they are already planning for their next trip south.
“We leave Next Sunday, we’re heading to Nassau,” said Bell.
For other neighbors like Arianne Premuzic-McChesney, the cold weather is also a reminder to prepare and help others after losing her home to an electrical fire two years ago.
“I will never have an open-face space heater in my house again, because it fell over and caught fire. Caught the carpet on fire, and it went up the walls and just totaled my house,” said Arianne Premuzic-McChesney, a Baltimore resident.
Now, she has made it her mission to go the extra mile to help others, especially during the colder months.
“I have a guy down the street who’s homeless. He’s a vet, so I’ve been feeding him for about a year now, and he’s actually putting on weight now and looking healthy,” said Premuzic-McChesney.
Cold weather safety tips
Dr. Cheynne Falat works at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She emphasized that it’s important to help others during the winter, but it’s vital to know how to protect yourself, too.
“These bookend seasons, where it can be 50 to 60 degrees during the day and then cold at night, people are relatively underprepared for the cold temperatures and the near-freezing temperatures that can still place us at risk,” said Dr. Falat, Assistant Medical Director of the Emergency Department.
According to Dr. Falat, wearing layers, drinking warm, hydrating fluids, plus recognizing the signs and symptoms of hypothermia can be life-saving.
“Something that will give you calories and electrolytes is a good idea. So avoiding things like cigarettes, smoking alcohol and only drinking things like caffeine, because that acts as a diuretic, and we want to make sure that we’re appropriately hydrated,” said Dr. Falat. “Making sure that we dress appropriately, so wearing those layered clothing, and like I mentioned, covering the exposed areas of the body, and don’t forget about your fingers and toes to prevent the frostbite.”
Dr. Falat also encouraged residents to check on elderly neighbors and loved ones to make sure they have the support they need during the colder months.
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