Extreme Cold Conditions in Cook County
COOK COUNTY – The extreme cold weather impacting the region is hitting Cook County hard too. The National Weather Service in the United States reports, “Dangerously cold wind chills of 35 to 50 below zero through this afternoon deteriorating to 45 to 65 below zero this evening through Wednesday morning. Wind chills will improve to 35 f to 45 f below zero Wednesday afternoon before deteriorating to 45 f to 55 f below zero Wednesday evening through the middle of Thursday morning.
Cook County, along with much of the State of Minnesota, is experiencing extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills this week. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Department encourage residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel or outdoor exposure, if possible. Residents are also encouraged to check on friends and neighbours, elderly or vulnerable relatives and report any utility outages.
“Please be mindful, that in these temperatures and wind chills, frostbite is possible in just five minutes of exposure,” said Valerie Marasco, Director – Cook County Emergency Management & Public Information. “Pets are also at increased risk. When taking your pets out for a bathroom break, stay with them. If it’s too cold for you to stand outside, it is also too cold for prolonged pet exposure.”
If anyone needs a warm indoor place to go today or tomorrow, the following facilities are open and welcome members of the public to warm up:
- The Cook County Senior Center located at 10 Broadway, Grand Marais, MN – Open 8 am – 4 pm
- Grand Marais Public Library located at 104 2nd Ave W, Grand Marais, MN 55604 – Open Tuesday 10 am -5 pm, Wednesday 10 am – 8 pm
“Emergency operations partners are working together and are prepared should the need for additional sheltering arise,” said Marasco. “As of now, there are no utility outages reported and all County offices are open as usual. People are just asked to take precautions, check on friends and neighbors and ensure that personal and vehicle emergency kits are in place.”
During extended power or communication outages, Cook County may staff volunteer Fire Halls as a connection to Emergency Services and 911 – watch/listen for more information through local media, all-weather NOAA weather radios and emergency alerts such as CodeRED.
Additional updates and information will be provided as needed.
Report any utility outages to the utility or if after business hours, contact Cook County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 218-387-3030 or in an emergency call 911.
Helpful links:
Winter Weather Safety: https://www.weather.gov/wrn/winter_safety
NWS Duluth Website: http://www.weather.gov/dlh/
NWS Duluth Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/NWSDuluth
MNDOT Road Conditions: http://www.511mn.org
