We’re used to winter cold but this weekend could pack a wallop

There’s nothing unusual about mid-winter cold, but this weekend will be no joke even for the hardy among us, including the crowds coming to Concord for the Black Ice Pond Hockey championships and downtown Winter Fest.

“We have plenty of spaces to go and get warm,” said Jim Doremus, board chair for the Black Ice tournament, taking place at White Park Friday through Sunday. He pointed to a heated spectator tent and the park’s new skate house, which has toilets for those reluctant to use a Porta-Potty in sub-freezing temperatures.

As for those working the event: “Our volunteers, the vast majority have done this over the years,” Doremus said. “We generally don’t have anybody outside for extended periods of time.”

Winter Fest, with outdoor and indoor events, will take place on Main Street around the State House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

People will need to be cautious. The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine sent out a release with asterisks included, titled ***Dangerously Cold Temperatures This Weekend***. They estimate Concord will see a wind chill of 17 degrees below zero on Saturday morning, while Sunday morning will have air temperatures, before any wind, of 3 degrees below zero.

The state Department of Safety sent out warnings Thursday, noting that hypothermia and frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes when the wind chill drops to such levels.

Staying inside is no guarantee of safety because of an indirect danger: House fires from people using extra heating sources.

“Nearly half of home heating fires occur during the winter months,” said State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey. “When using space heaters as supplemental heat source, make sure they are plugged directly into wall outlets and have 3 feet of space around them.” 

The cold will be part of a massive Arctic storm system moving down into the U.S. that will bring snow and freezing temperatures as far south as Alabama with dangerous ice storms across the mid-Atlantic region.

Following the cold, that storm is expected to pack a wallop with some forecasts already calling for up to a foot or more of snow through Monday morning. Predicting the weather can be tricky business, but meteorologists expect Southern New Hampshire will get significant snow and points further west could get over a foot.

The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness is offering extended hours at the coalition’s resource center for people who live outside and has teamed up with the Friendly Kitchen to provide services during the cold blast. Shelters and warming stations will be opened across the state. Call 211 to find locations.

New Hampshire Fish and Game, which conducts wilderness rescues, is cautioning people to be extra careful outdoors and to consider delaying a trip for safety’s sake.

“Extreme winter conditions will exist in the mountains this weekend,” said Major David Walsh. “The deep snow, extreme cold and wind will be brutal and unforgiving. Please consider your limitations and experience and know when to postpone your hike. The mountains will be there for another day.”

Ski resorts are cautioning visitors to be prepared for extreme conditions.

“We’re doing some proactive emails/outreach to all the folks that have pre-purchased tickets on how to dress, take breaks, what to look for, etc. and were also doing the same for some of our groups that are coming, ” wrote Kris Blomback, general manager of Pats Peak ski area. 

As for the Black Ice tournament, which is in its 15th year, dealing with extreme cold is better than dealing with the opposite.

“I used to play and I remember years when we were skating on puddles. One year, we decided to play in boots, the ice was so soft,” said Doremus. “This is so much better.”

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