Frigid Wind Chills Expected This Weekend

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - People planning outdoor activities for this weekend should consider calling and canceling those plans.

State officials are warning people to watch the forecasts, as we head for the coldest weather of the season so far. Bitter cold temperatures are teaming up with strong winds to create frigid Friday and Saturday nights.

"This will be a fairly short cold snap, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous," said Richard D. Flinn Jr., director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. "People need to be aware of the dangers that cold weather poses to themselves and their loved ones."

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

Flinn said PEMA is currently hard at work, using all available resources to identify those in need and provide assistance.

KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla says tonight's low will be down near a frosty 9 degrees.

"Then, [Friday], mostly cloudy skies. We're going to see a bump up [Friday] into the mid-20s ahead of that next Arctic front," he said. "As that boundary moves through, some late-day snow showers, which may carry into [Friday] evening and the Arctic chill arrives late [Friday] night and into the weekend."

In the City of Pittsburgh, officials are opening 24 community centers as warming shelters on Friday. The facilities will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Recreation Centers:
• Ammon, 2217 Bedford Avenue, Hill District
• Magee, 745 Greenfield Avenue, Greenfield
• Paulson, 1201 Paulson Street, Lincoln-Lemington
• West Penn, 450 30th Street, Polish Hill
• Jefferson, 605 Rednap Street, Central Northside
• Arlington, 2201 Salisbury Street, Arlington
• Brookline, 1400 Oakridge Street, Brookline
• Ormsby, 79 S. 22nd Street, South Side
• Phillips Park, 201 Parkfield Street, Carrick
• Warrington, 329 E. Warrington Avenue, Beltzhoover

Healthy Active Living Centers:
• Glen Hazel, 945 Roselle Court
• Greenfield, 745 Greenfield Ave.
• Hazelwood, 5344 Second Ave.
• Homewood, 5344 Second Ave.
• Lawrenceville, 4600 Butler St.
• Morningside, 6944 Presidents Way
• Brighton Heights, 3515 McClure Ave.
• North Side, Allegheny Square
• Northview Heights, 533 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
• Mt. Washington, 122 Virginia Ave.
• Sheraden, 720 Sherwood Ave.
• South Side Market House, 12th St. & 1 Bedford Square
• West End, 80 Wabash St.

On Saturday and Sunday also from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., city officials say they will open four CitiPark Community Centers where people can get warm:

• Homewood Community Center, 7321 Frankstown Ave. 15208
• Brighton Heights Community Center, 3515 McClure Ave. 15212
• Sheraden Community Center, 720 Sherwood Ave. 15204
• South Side Market House, 12th St. & 1 Bedford Square 15203

Aside from the cold itself, methods of keeping warm can bring their own dangers.

"House fires are common in the winter, so people need to be extra vigilant in making sure any action they take doesn't put them and their loved ones at risk,"  State Fire Commissioner Tim Solobay said. "Carbon monoxide is another threat that claims lives every year, even though prevention is fairly simple. If you haven't done so recently, test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors now and make it a habit to do so every month."

Free downloadable emergency home and car kit checklists and emergency plan templates, are available online at www.ReadyPA.org.