SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Local officials are activating emergency cold-weather measures as a surge of arctic air brings dangerously low temperatures to northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Lackawanna County Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the City of Scranton, has declared nightly Code Blue Frigid Weather Alerts through the weekend. The alerts are issued when temperatures or wind chills are expected to fall below 20 degrees, prompting additional protections for vulnerable residents, including those experiencing homelessness.
A Code Blue alert was already in effect Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, when wind chills dropped to near one degree. Additional alerts will run nightly beginning at 8 p.m. and ending at 7 a.m., with wind chills forecast to range from 18 degrees to as low as nine degrees below zero.
Under the Code Blue protocol, emergency shelter options are available throughout the city.
St. Anthony’s Haven on Olive Street will be open overnight from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m.
The Weston Field House on Providence Road will open its doors at 7:30 p.m.
The Community Intervention Center on North Sixth Avenue will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours available if conditions warrant.
Officials urge anyone in need of shelter to take advantage of the available resources and encourage residents to check on neighbors who may be at risk during the extreme cold.
An updated advisory is expected Thursday, January 22.