ATHOL—With temperatures dropping into the single digits, the overnight warming center at the North Quabbin Recovery Center is open through Sunday.
The warming center was opened earlier this week and will be open from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Sunday, Jan. 23. All are welcome, according to a social media post to the Athol Selectmen’s Facebook page.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures on Thursday, Jan. 22, are expected to range from a high of 38 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to 16 degrees in the evening. Friday and Saturday nights are expected to see temperatures drop to below 0 degrees in the evening.
Exposure to cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia and become life-threatening, according to information on the NWS website. Pipes may freeze and burst in homes that are poorly insulated or without heat.
Frostbite is damage to body tissue caused by extreme cold. A wind chill of -20 degrees Fahrenheit will cause frostbite in just 30 minutes. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 95 degrees Fahrenheit and can be fatal, according to the NWS. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion.