Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
City opens warming center as negative temps threaten
DAVENPORT – Frigid temperatures, biting winds and some snowfall arrived in the area this week and are expected to last through New Year’s Day Saturday, Jan. 1. Temperatures reached into the negatives and were even colder with wind chill by Tuesday, Dec. 28 and were expected to remain in the teens, single digits and temperatures through New Year’s Eve.
The cold started Monday, Dec. 27 when high temperatures of 20 degrees and a low of 6 degrees Fahrenheit were measured by the National Weather Service in the Davenport area. The next day was even colder, with a high of 13 degrees and a low of minus 4 degrees. Wednesday, Dec. 30 had a high of 10 and a low of 5 degrees, with wind chill values varying as low as minus 5 to minus 10 degrees.
At press time, snow was expected to flurry around an inch Thursday morning, Dec. 30 ahead of another cold day Friday, Dec. 31. New Year’s Eve is forecasted with a high of 12 degrees and a low of minus 5 degrees. New Year’s Day is expected to be “warmer,” with a high of 16 degrees and a low of 12 degrees.
Snow isn’t expected either day, aside from a chance of flurries after 10 p.m. Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Negative temperatures aren’t pleasant, but none of this week’s forecasted temperatures would set a record for the region. The record low for New Year’s Eve was minus 18 degrees in 1968, and the record low for New Year’s Day was minus 24 degrees in 1979. The high temperature on those days was minus 5 and zero degrees, respectively, according to National Weather Service data.
The city of Davenport opened the city council chambers adjacent to City Hall as a warming center for locals who need a place to get out of the frigid temperatures Wednesday, Dec. 29. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, but is closed from noon to 1 p.m.
The warming center will remain open as long as temperatures remain as low as they currently are, city staff said.
Temperatures this low can be dangerous for personal health. Lincoln County Public Health administrator Ed Dzedzy said it’s important to stay hydrated, stay indoors and cover as much skin as possible if one must go outside.
“I hate to say it in this day and age, but even wear a mask,” Dzedzy said. “This time of year, people actually like to wear a mask because it gets so cold.”
Layers are important because of the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, Dzedzy said.
“You can begin to experience hypothermia without even realizing it,” he said. “You might have strange symptoms, like confusion, and not know it’s because of the hypothermia. So make sure you’re around people if you’re outside, if possible.”
Dzedzy also said it’s important to check on neighbors and make sure they are getting the heat in their homes they need to stay warm and healthy.
“It’s especially important to check on and take care of the elderly in these times,” Dzedzy said.
If power goes out and one loses their standard source of heat in their home, they should be careful what sources they use to warm up, Dzedzy added.
“Don’t use alternative heat sources like a barbeque or an outdoor generator inside your house,” he said. “That’s because of the carbon monoxide risk…that’s something that’s colorless and odorless, so you don’t know it’s there until it’s too late.”
The cold can also affect pets and livestock. Dr. Todd Winzer of Wheatland Veterinary Clinic said local cattlemen are experts in animal husbandry and know how to care for their herds in brutally cold temperatures, but added that it’s key to leave any water source for livestock unfrozen by keeping waters thawed with a heating source or pickax, if necessary.
“If the power goes out, which it can during cold temperatures, the heaters for water tanks go out,” Winzer said. “Then you’ll see farmers in a parka and mittens and axe going out and chipping away at the water so it doesn’t freeze over.”
For smaller animals, like dogs, cats and chickens, Winzer said moisture and wind is what can really affect animals. Winzer recommends keeping animals indoors if possible, but added that cold temperatures aren’t necessarily the exclusive risk for small pets.
“Chickens will actually be okay outside in up to minus 20 degrees , but they need to be dry and out of the wind,” Winzer said. “It’s most important to keep animals out of the wind and don’t let them get wet.”
All pets face the greatest risk when its coats or feathers get wet or when exposed to winds.
“Get your animal inside if they get wet and dry them off right away,” Winzer said.
Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing at its high points by Monday, Jan. 3.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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