Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images
(Miami, Fla) - South Floridians bracing for unusually chilly weather as a swath of cold air blows through Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service (NWS), Thursday morning is forecast to be the coldest morning behind the cold front, with portions of far western Miami-Dade County possibly seeing wind chill and apparent temperature values around 50 degrees.
The Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) urge residents to take precautions to stay healthy and safe during cold weather.
Winter safety tips:
- Stay indoors as much as possible to keep healthy, safe, and warm. Make sure to check on friends, family members, and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill.
- For outside activities, dress in multiple layers of loose-fitting clothing. Don't forget to wear a hat, scarf and mittens, or other winter gear.
- Eat well-balanced meals to stay warmer. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages—they cause your body to lose heat more rapidly. Instead, drink warm beverages such as hot chocolate or hot tea to help maintain your body temperature. If you have any dietary restrictions, consult your doctor.
- Bring pets out of the cold weather and provide them warm shelter.
- Heat your home safely. If you plan to use a fireplace or space heater, be extremely careful. Make sure each appliance is properly adjusted and you have followed the manufacturer's instructions and local building codes for use.
- Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by never using generators, charcoal grills or gas grills indoors and by installing a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas.
- Additional cold weather safety tips
If you require assistance with homeless sheltering, please contact the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Helpline at 1 (877) 994-HELP (4357) or (305) 375-CARE (2273).