‘Season’s First Cold Wave’ Hits the U.S.

The season’s first cold wave ranged across the upper Midwest to the Northeast on Sunday, sending temperatures far below freezing and forcing relief officials to scramble for places to shelter the homeless.

Temperatures in the single digits or below zero extended from Minnesota west to portions of the Dakotas, and the northern sections of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and New England. Temperatures below freezing were common from the northern and central plains to the middle and northern Atlantic coast. At International Falls, Minn., the mercury plunged to 25 below zero.

“This is pretty much the season’s first cold wave caused by Arctic air from Canada pushing across the United States,” National Weather Service meteorologist Hugh Crowther said.

In Washington, homeless advocate Mitch Snyder said the cold sent street people searching for space in the city’s 25 shelters.

“There’s no ‘in’ to bring them in to,” Snyder said. “People last night were sleeping on dining room tables and chairs in the shelters.”

Snyder’s group, the Community for Creative Non-Violence, and others handed out blankets to people in need, but he said many homeless remain out of sight and out of reach of aid.

The mercury hit 25 in the capital city early Sunday.

The New York City Health Department declared a cold-weather emergency. There were at least 9,800 homeless people in shelters, which were filled to capacity.

Philadelphia officials planned to round up homeless people from sidewalk grates and doorways and take them to shelters. Forecasters predicted low overnight temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees, which would nearly equal the century-old record.

In Boston, vans transported some homeless to shelters, which were open to anyone without adequate heat.

In New Haven, Conn., Christian Community Action, which administers three shelters in the city, put up families in motels. “It seems as if there’s never any vacancies in the shelters,” spokesman Robert Kilpatrick said. “Once somebody moves out, there’s always somebody ready to move in.”

Sault St. Marie, Mich., broke a record for the day Sunday with a reading of 14 below zero. The previous record was 13 below zero in 1962.