'Cold weather crisis': Dangerous Arctic air, wind to hit NH, Maine. What you need to know

Punxsutawney Phil, the forecasting groundhog, emerged Thursday and saw his shadow, confirming winter will last for another six weeks. The Groundhog Day prediction is coming in full force as the strongest surge of cold weather this winter will blow through the Northeast, including New Hampshire and Maine.

The National Weather Service is tracking an Arctic air front set to hit New Hampshire and Maine late Thursday and last through Saturday, bringing temperatures below zero and wind chill temperatures 20 to 40 below zero locally. The extreme cold front has prompted local and state officials, medical experts and housing leaders to sound the alarm on dangers the frigid temperatures will bring.

Gov. Sununu: 'No one is going to be immune'

Gov. Chris Sununu, flanked by emergency officials and weather experts at Thursday press conference in Concord, urged citizens to prepare for the cold, stay indoors this weekend and check on neighbors.

“This is going to be a cold weather crisis from Seabrook to Colebrook,” Sununu said. “Understand that no one is going to be immune, I think, for what’s coming down.”

Based in Gray, Maine, National Weather Service meteorologist Jerry Combs said in New Hampshire and Maine the coldest period will be from Friday night into Saturday morning.

Jay Broccolo, director of weather operations for the Mount Washington Observatory, said winds at the tallest peak in the Northeast are expected to reach between 70 and 90 mph, and could hit triple digits.

High amounts of blowing snow and poor visibility on the mountain, coupled with the weekend’s “gnarly” forecast, make the days ahead a “dire situation,” he said.

“The reason why this is so noteworthy to us is because it takes a very small mistake to then pass a cascade of poor decision making and failures above tree line, which can ultimately lead to death,” he said. “It has happened many times before above tree line, but it can really only take you taking a glove off, then within a minute your fingers are almost unable to move because your body has pulled the blood away from your fingers.”

Heading in a northwest to southeast direction and currently around Ontario and the Great Lakes, the Arctic air should hit communities from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod by Friday morning, according to Combs.

What are details of forecast in Seacoast NH and southern York County, Maine?

Seacoast, Strafford County and southern Maine area cities and towns are expected to see temperatures drop over the course of Friday.

Combs said during the Friday morning commute, temperatures will be in the single digits to low teens, with wind chill temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Previous forecast:Arctic air to hit Seacoast NH, southern Maine: Record cold temps 'not out of the question'

“Temperatures will fall through the day and winds will start picking up (Thursday night) and into (Friday) and into Saturday,” he said. “It’s going to start going downhill pretty quickly once that front crosses through.”

By early Friday evening, temperatures around the region are likely to be at or below zero, with wind chills dropping them to the -20s and -30s. Later in the night and moving into Saturday morning, wind chills could drop to the -40s.

“Sunset to sunrise Friday night into Saturday morning is the worst conditions we have,” Combs said.

Temperatures will be even colder in northern communities, as in mountainous locations and closer to the Canadian border, Combs said wind chill temperatures could dip as far as the -50s and -60s.

Wind gusts in the local area are expected to last Thursday evening through early Saturday before dying off, with Combs predicting gusts could stay between 30 and 35 mph and potentially blow up to 40 mph.

By Sunday, according to Combs, temperatures in the Seacoast, Strafford County and southern Maine could jump back up to the low 40s.

“Very, very potent cold snap here, but the silver lining is that it should be short lived,” he said.

Power outages in cold a major concern

Sununu said power outages across the Granite State are anticipated, the latest after a string of winter storms in recent days left tens of thousands of residents without power for prolonged periods.

New Hampshire power outages:Track outages in your area

Maine power outages:Track outages in your area

“We’re tough and we're resilient about our weather, but that comes because we’re always prepared, and we just want folks to appreciate the intensity of the weather we’re going to get so we can be prepared and come through it on the other side safely,” he said.

Residents are urged to stay indoors during 'life-threatening' cold snap

The National Weather Service and New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management are encouraging people to stay indoors on Friday and Saturday, as just a short time outside could lead to frostbite or hypothermia.

“Avoid any outdoor activities on Friday and Saturday!” New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management wrote on social media. “Cold temperatures paired with the wind chill factor could lead to potentially life-threatening conditions outdoors. If you’re traveling, bring a winter emergency kit and inform others of your plans.”

What are the signs of frostbite and hypothermia?

Dr. Lukas Kolm, director of emergency medicine at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, said he hasn’t seen projections for such severe cold since he was training to become a doctor in inner city Chicago.

“These are not your day-to-day temperatures so don't treat them like they are,” he advised. “Say, ‘I can ride this out for two days.’”

With the Arctic blast soon to hit, however, Kolm offered suggestions for how to avoid frostbite or hypothermia.

Frostbite, an extreme cold-induced injury to the body, causes a lack of color of feeling in affected areas. The Centers for Disease Control reports frostbite predominantly impacts the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes.

Initial signs of frostbite, such as “numbness and a tingling needles sensation,” are technically frostnip, said Kolm. When the skin takes on a color change, first to patchy, waxy-esque shades of red and white, is what should be an indicator of frostbite. Long exposure to cold temperatures can lead to the skin changing to a dusky form of blue and gray, he added.

Frostbite can then result in a full burning feeling. “When you get into deep frostbite and it gets into all tissue layers, you lose sensation,” Kolm said, adding frostbite can cause people to lose function and become foggy.

Hypothermia, according to the CDC, is when a person’s body temperature becomes abnormally low due to stored energy being used up during elongated exposure to extreme cold.

How to stay safe outside

Hypothermia and frostbite can be prevented by not spending too much time outdoors during intense cold waves. Those who go outside are reminded to layer and wear loose-fitting clothing and shoes while avoiding anything tightly-fitted and wet.

Anybody experiencing hypothermia should avoid attempting to rapidly rewarm and instead should try to boost their body temperature gradually.

“Hopefully people are paying attention and they don’t get stuck in a situation that can be avoided,” Kolm said.

More safety tips:How to stay safe when record cold temperatures hit New England

Dover Fire Chief Michael McShane urged residents to watch out for signs such as: Shivering, exhaustion or the feeling of being very tired, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.

“It’s important to be aware of the dangers these cold temperatures can bring and to take the necessary steps to stay safe,” he said. “Never leave a child or pet unattended in a car in the cold, and if you can, stay inside to avoid the cold and wind chill. If you must go outside, make sure you are dressed appropriately and cover your hands and face.”

Warming centers open in Seacoast NH, Strafford County and southern Maine

Local and state officials are reminding the public of warming centers that will be open during the cold snap.

The Willand Emergency Warming Center of Strafford County, located at 30 Willand Drive in Somersworth, will be open at least Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 4, with hours of operation each day 5 p.m. until 9 a.m. It will remain open during the day on Saturday, too, and may remain open longer during the day on Sunday as well, according to information posted on its Facebook page.

The center is walk-in only and reservations are not required. Meal donations will be needed to support the center this week.

Cross Roads House in Portsmouth is serving as the official warming center for Rockingham County this winter. It is slated to be open 600 Lafayette Road Saturday from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. each day.

Cross Roads House director of development and communications Alissa Gumprecht said the warming center has yet to fill every bed each night since opening on Dec. 1 and will never turn anybody away.

“If we run out of cots, we would still bring someone in from the cold and give them shelter,” she said. “It may be that they are given a chair for the night to sit or sleep in, but our mission is to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe winter weather.”

Next door to Cross Roads House is the eight-bed warming center at Operation Blessing, which is open through this Saturday from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. each day.

Numerous warming centers and shelters throughout New Hampshire and in southern Maine are open to assist the homeless population during the cold snap.

Dave Dagenais, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital's senior director of plant operations and clinical engineering, said the hospital will provide transportation to a nearby warming center for anyone who comes to the hospital looking for shelter from the cold.

Dageneis encouraged the public to be proactive and not wait until the last minute should they need medical attention or temporary lodging.

“By no means, we’re not going to turn anyone away, but if people need warming, they should go to those warming centers that are designed for that,” he said.

The following is a list of warming centers and shelters in New Hampshire and southern Maine that will be open for people to escape the cold with information provided by the governor's office in New Hampshire:

New Hampshire

• Southwestern Community Services: 96 Main Street, Claremont, NH

• Salvation Army McKenna House: 100 S Fruit Street, Concord, NH

• My Friend’s Place: 368 Washington Street, Dover, NH

• Seacoast Family Promise: 27 Hampton Road, Exeter, NH

• New Generation: 568 Portsmouth Ave, Greenland, NH

• Hundred Nights, Inc: 17 Lamson Street, Keene, NH

• Southwestern Community Services: 63 Community Way, Keene, NH

• Salvation Army Carey House (Laconia): 6 Spring Street, Laconia, NH

• Tyler Blain House: 56 Prospect Street, Lancaster, NH

• Burch House: 25 Mountain Brook Cir, Lincoln, NH

• Families in Transition – New Horizons: 122 Market Street, Manchester, NH

• Angie’s Place: 434 Union Street, Manchester, NH

• Families in Transition: 136 Lowell Street, Manchester, NH

• Helping Hands Outreach: 50 Lowell Street, Manchester, NH

• Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter: 2 Quincy Street, Nashua, NH

• Bridge House: 260 Highland Street, Plymouth, NH 03264

• Friends Emergency Housing: 130 Pembroke Rd, Suite 200, Concord, NH 03301

Southern Maine

York Village Fire Station Warming Center: 1 Firehouse Drive, York, ME

York Beach Fire Department Warming Center: 18 Railroad Ave, York Beach, ME

Sanford Memorial Gym Warming Center: 678 Main Street, Sanford, ME

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dangerous extreme cold weather to hit Seacoast NH, Maine