The US north-east girded itself on Tuesday for extreme cold that was expected to reach a wind chill value of -40F (-40C) in some northern areas and closed some schools elsewhere.
Boston’s public school system, the largest in Massachusetts, announced that schools would not open on Tuesday. The high in the city on Tuesday was expected to be 12F (-11C), with wind chills making it feel as low as -8F (-22C), according to National Weather Service forecasters.
New York City was in for subzero temperatures with wind chill factored in, the weather service warned.
It could feel as low as -15F (-26C) in some areas of Massachusetts, according to the weather service. And it could be even colder elsewhere in New England: forecasters said wind chill could approach -40F (-40C) in some parts of western Maine.
Temperatures below zero, not including the wind chill, were also expected in Burlington, Vermont and Concord, New Hampshire. Forecasters said Providence, Rhode Island should expect a wind chill value of as low as minus -1F (-17C).
Low temperatures can result in frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
New Hampshire’s health department announced that four Covid-19 testing sites would be closed because of the cold. The sites are in Claremont, Manchester, Nashua and Newington.
Central Maine Power said it was encouraging customers to weather strip windows and open drapes to let in heat and light from the sun, reducing reliance on electricity during the cold spell.
