Pittsburgh Extends Warming Shelter Hours As Bitter Cold Temperatures Persist

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States, including Pittsburgh, and is expected to stay put for days to come.

Forecasters are warning of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.

The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.

The freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills come as people in Erie continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches on the city.

While we're not dealing with the snow here in Pittsburgh, we are feeling the effects of the frigid temperatures.

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Because of that, the City of Pittsburgh is extending the hours at its warming centers in Homewood, Sheraden and the South Side.

They will be open until 7 p.m. tonight and on Friday from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Here's more information on those shelters:

Homewood Healthy Active Living Center
7321 Frankstown Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Dec. 27-28, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Contact: 412-244-4190

South Side Market House
12th St. & 1 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Dec. 27-28, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Contact: 412-488-8404

Sheraden Healthy Active Living Center
720 Sherwood Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15204
Dec. 27-28, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Contact: 412-777-5012

City officials will also be checking on the area homeless, as well as pets left outdoors for extended periods. They are also encouraging residents to check on their neighbors and loved ones.

If you or someone you know needs a warm place to stay during the cold snap, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Pittsburgh Mercy's Operation Safety Net can help. For more information, click here.

It's cold out there tonight. @ACDHS and @PghMercy Operation Safety Net® Winter Shelter opens at 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night through March 15, 2018. #homeless #homelessness #WinterShelter https://t.co/Q5JjlS0of7 pic.twitter.com/ox3INxYKkC

— Pittsburgh Mercy (@PghMercy) December 26, 2017

Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York.

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