Tri-State Residents Brace For Blast Of Extreme Cold
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The temperatures were dropping fast Thursday evening, and the bitter blast is only going to get worse.
As CBS2's Vanessa Murdock reported, New Yorkers were bundled up and bracing for this weekend's extreme cold.
MORE: Check The Forecast
The recommendation from Mayor Bill de Blasio is to be outside as little as possible. That includes the city's homeless population. The mayor said they are going to a Code Blue, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"That means there will be intensive outreach, trying to make sure all homeless folks get off the streets. Anyone who might be in danger gets off the streets," he said.
Even with a limited exposure there could still be health risks.
"People have to take this very, very seriously. This is really abnormal," de Blasio said, adding that anyone who needs help or a warm place should call 311.
And staying warm might be hard to do. On Thursday, the wind chill fell to 11 degrees.
"Really cold," said Danielle James, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. "I wish I had earmuffs right now."
"I think it's too cold," one man said. "The winter came too fast. It was nice for a long time, then it just came doubly hard."
Come Sunday morning, it could feel like 20 below.
"This weekend, I'm staying home with my dog," said Deke Stoklosa, of Jersey City, New Jersey. "I'm cuddling up on the couch."
But if you are outside, dressing the part will be a necessity -- hats, gloves, the works.
Jim Corn, manager of Kaufman's Army & Navy, said his store carries a secret winter weapon.
MORE: Beware Of Frostbite Dangers As Bitter Cold Temps Set In
"We have super underwear," he said, referring to the military issue undergarments.
"This has no weight, no bulk, and it's extremely warm."
Talk about warm -- that's actually how Nick Talbot would describe Thursday's weather.
He is a mountaineer who will be making his bid for Mount Everest in March to raise awareness and money for cystic fibrosis. He said he's been out when it's 40 below.
"I've been in a tent on the side of the mountain at about 25,000 feet," he said. "And when you breathe, the air crystallizes on top of the tents, and it falls like snow onto your face."
Talbot shared a couple of tricks for keeping warm when the weather goes extreme.
"If you swing your arms (back and forth in front of your body) ... it pushes the blood into the extremes of your hands," he said.
He admits you might look a little strange, but it does the trick to warm those digits.
If they're still freezing, "you put your hands in someone else's armpits," Talbot said.
That might sound a bit gross, but Murdock asked a couple to give it a try anyway.
"Actually, it's pretty warm," Julie Nickas, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, said with a laugh.
"I feel needed," added Bryan Heckler.