Code Blue issued in NYC: Strong wind gusts arrive Monday
NEW YORK (PIX11) — New Yorkers hoping for more warm weather following a mild Sunday will be disappointed as a cold front is moving into the region overnight.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory until 6 p.m. Monday. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected to slam New York City, northern New Jersey, and parts of southern Connecticut.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
Highs will reach the mid-30s, however, it will feel closer to 16 degrees.
Overnight temperatures will dip below freezing, prompting a Code Blue to be issued in New York City. The Code Blue will be in effect until 8 a.m. Monday.
New Yorkers should bundle up for the morning commute as forecasts predict outside temperatures will feel like 10 degrees.
Shelters and drop-in centers will be available city-wide for the homeless and those seeking shelter. No one will be denied shelter during a Code Blue.
NYC forecast and PIX11's Weather Center
The NYCDHS will deploy outreach teams to assist homeless individuals. If you encounter a homeless person in the cold, please call 311, and an outreach team will be sent to that location.
More information on homeless assistance can be found online or on the 311 app.
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Oregon's Heat Waves Are More Dangerous Than Ever — That's Deadly For Renters
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. It's Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2024: the first day of a three-day heatwave in Portland, Oregon, with temperatures predicted to be the hottest since 1958. Inside my outdated single-family home, the thermometer is climbing to 96 degrees. The poorly maintained windows, cracked open by adjustable window screens to allow for any cross breeze, are covered with blackout curtains. My partner and I are sitting on our couch, sweat dripping from every orifice, and our dog lies on a cold spot on the old wooden floors, tongue hanging out. All inclement weather can be dangerous, but the heat we experienced over those three days was especially so. Hot weather is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States, resulting in hundreds of deaths per year. The body temperature has a believed 95-degree wet-bulb limit (which is the theoretical temperature at which it's too humid for sweat to be evaporated enough to cool you down), but some scientists at Penn State recently reported it might be even lower, at 87 degrees. And veterinarians say that temperatures above 90 degrees can get dangerous for dogs, and fast, since they don't sweat like humans do. Needless to say, we were suffering. And yet, even with an AC unit in each room of our home, nothing seemed to cool it down. Due to the poorly insulated, drafty windows, all the cool air was escaping. We faced a tradeoff: suffer inside with all the windows shut and hope the AC eventually worked, or aim for a crosswind and forgo trying the AC altogether. I felt hopeless. Those who could afford to escape to the Oregon Coast during the heatwave (and the skyrocketing Airbnb prices) had already done so. After some serious scavenging, I found a single yurt three hours away in Reedsport, where the temps hovered in the manageable upper 70s. Thank goodness for National Parks. While we escaped that heatwave, I hoped that once we returned, the weather wouldn't climb again. Deep down, I knew it was just the first hot day of many. When my family and I toured our rental that April, the weather was perfect: in the upper 60s and sunny. From conversations with locals and my own research, I was led to believe that the climate in Portland is moderate from April to September, with temperatures rarely climbing above the 80s. But times are changing. The summer we moved, Portland reported the hottest July to date, and more than two heat waves with average temperatures around 100 degrees, lasting from two to five days, according to the National Weather Service. Now, these heat waves are more of the norm. In the 2021 Western North America Heat Wave, temperatures soared past 116 degrees, and 800 people died in the Pacific Northwest, 100 of them Oregonians. The heatwave also caused a myriad of challenges: a surge in 911 calls and emergency department visits; commuter services like the MAX Light Rail and WES Commuter Rail and the Portland Streetcar service were suspended due to heat-related issues; and Seattle's steel drawbridges had to be hosed down to prevent infrastructure issues such as cracking. In parts of Washington, the pavement was literally melting, causing buckling and potholes, and some counties reported power outages. Later, reports of 2,800 heat-related emergency department visits were made from July 25-30, 2021, in Multnomah County, Oregon, alone. The county published an analysis that found that a majority of deaths that occurred in households were from residents who only had fans or no air conditioning. For the uninitiated, it may seem patently ridiculous that folks out here don't have AC units. But Portland is different. In cities like New York City, where I rented for over eight years, AC is standard, even expected. In fact, 86% of Portland owner-occupied homes have air conditioning — yet only 66% of renter-occupied homes do, says The Office of Darla Andrews of Rent Portland Homes. That statistic includes rental units where renters provide their own portable AC units. During my Portland search, I toured one high-rise apartment where the leasing agent mentioned that we'd need to keep all the doors inside the apartment open in the summer and use fans to help circulate the air, as the mini split AC unit wouldn't cut it. For the cost, you'd expect better insulation and, at minimum, proper cooling devices. It was also the only unit I toured that included air conditioning at all. For Portland's rental market, extreme temperatures pose serious challenges. There is a push to preserve neighborhood character — understandably so; Portland is a breathtaking city. But this means zoning restrictions and height limits for apartment construction. Much like our unit, a single-family home, most rentals are older houses with converted ADUs in the basement, which often have poor insulation and lack central air conditioning. While basement units tend to stay cooler, installing an AC is nearly impossible due to the ground-level windows. There is also a widening class disparity, causing issues with availability and pricing for portable units. Portland has long wait lists for cooling centers and free AC units. If you were lucky enough amid a heat wave to snag a portable AC unit from your local hardware center before they sold out, the cost itself was unfathomable, at two to three times the going rate. Some reports found that price gougers were selling units, which already go for several hundred dollars, for $2,000 a pop. In the end, when it gets so hot that the roads are buckling, only those who can afford it or have the luxury of having a car can escape. However, protecting vulnerable and priority populations such as seniors, low-income individuals, those with disabilities, communities of color, and those living outside during extreme heat, is not optional. Nobody should be left behind because of where they live, how much they earn, or the support systems they have access to. As my family and I were piecing together cooling solutions with box fans in front of our AC units, curtain dividers from IKEA in every room, and luck, we thought of how to avoid this situation in the future. Ultimately, we decided to move to a much smaller apartment with central AC and ample tree coverage in the neighborhood after weighing our choices. Others, too, will need to create a plan of action far in advance — if they're lucky enough to be able to afford to move. Residents are being advised to prepare for 'possible extreme heat' this summer. The release revealed that last year in Multnomah County, '170 people visited the hospital or urgent care for heat-related illnesses, up from 141 in 2023,' health authorities said. 'Four people died last year in connection with heat exposure, compared with three heat-related deaths in 2023.' Since Oregon is now one of the top five states for incoming residents, I went down the rabbit hole to see what renters' protections and action plans could work to protect others and their furry friends from the extreme heat. The state has regulations to protect residents during freezing temperatures, which require landlords to provide adequate heating to 68 degrees or above inside when it drops below 20 degrees. But the state does not do the same for extreme heat, despite the fact that it is so dangerous. Should landlords be held responsible for ensuring tenants have access to adequate cooling? Currently, SB 1536, which regulates temperature control in rental units, does not require landlords to install air conditioning; it only protects tenants' right to install it. But, in discussion is SB 54, which would require multiunit property owners to provide efficient cooling devices — central air conditioning, heat pump, or portable cooling device — in at least one room on hot days. The goal is to have a cooling device in every bedroom by 2036. Could the city support retrofitting older homes, many of which house renters, to improve cooling efficiency? In 2016, FEMA awarded Portland approximately $500,000 for a pilot program that subsidized half the cost of seismic retrofits for 150 residents. Why not implement a similar program for heat resilience? According to Housing Solutions Lab by the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, investments in insulation, efficient cooling systems, and moisture control, especially in the damp Pacific Northwest, could reduce energy consumption, increase property values, and improve comfort and livability. These upgrades would also support climate equity, as older homes are disproportionately occupied by lower-income residents who often face higher utility costs and greater vulnerability to extreme heat. The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund has made promising strides, pledging an additional $10.3 million in December 2024 to expand the Cooling Portland program, which provides portable cooling and heating units to low-income Portlanders and plans on serving an additional 10,000 households through 2026. But portable AC may not even be enough. Last year's study at three Home Forward properties revealed that portable air conditioners often fell short: Many residents avoided using them due to concerns about costly electricity bills, and even when in use, they had limited effectiveness in cooling indoor spaces. While programs like Cooling Portland are a meaningful start, long-term solutions like robust infrastructure changes and policy shifts that treat heat as a serious public health issue are required. Additionally, tenant unions remain a strong grassroots solution. The Portland Tenants Union, which shares accessible information about local elections and the proposed Tenant Protection Ordinance, recently interviewed Candace Avalos, city councillor for District 1, and other local politicians working to pass the Renters' Bill of Rights. This bill supports policies such as protection from eviction due to late rent during extreme weather, the right to safe indoor temperatures year round, and collective bargaining power when basic needs aren't met. Climate change is no longer theoretical. As a renter who can't afford to buy, I believe access to temperature-controlled housing is a basic right, not a luxury for the few who can afford it. My family and I often wonder: What incentives do landlords have to upgrade their properties with adequate cooling systems? If living conditions become unsafe for my family or our dog, what recourse do we have? Through my research, I did find opportunities for meaningful change: offering subsidized housing in tree-covered neighborhoods, revising building codes for hotter areas, and prioritizing renter protections like those outlined in a Renter's Bill of Rights. Housing must adapt to a warming world, and those most vulnerable cannot be left behind. No one should have to sacrifice health and stability for something as essential as livable temperatures. I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Article's DTC Furniture We Asked 5 Contractors Which Kitchen Reno Trend Homeowners Regret Most, and They Basically All Agreed Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Air quality getting worse amid Canadian wildfires. Is the smoke headed to Delaware?
Air quality continues to worsen across the United States as smoke stemming from Canadian wildfires begins moving south prompting air quality advisories in multiple states. The National Weather Service already issued alerts for Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan in the Midwest, and for New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland in the Northeast. Although the majority of wildfires are occurring in western Canada, smoke from these fires has been drifting eastward, impacting air quality in areas around the Great Lakes and the U.S. Northeast, shows AirNow, the Environmental Protection Agency's interactive air quality map. In New Jersey, air quality started to worsen in the northern part of the state prompting the state Department of Environmental Protection to issue a code orange air quality alert early on the morning of June 5 for northern counties in the state. However, soon after, the alert was extended all the way down to the Jersey Shore. While no alert has been issued for Delaware, pollution continues to move southward in New Jersey, and most of Pennsylvania now has moderate air quality, according to AirNow. To the west of Delaware, a portion of Maryland has been under an air quality alert since early June 5. A Code Orange air quality alert means that pollution levels may be unhealthy for vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart conditions. To reduce health risks, vulnerable groups should limit outdoor physical activity. The air quality index for Delaware is good, overall standing in the mid-40s. But the Environmental Protection Agency is forecasting the index to rise to 80 on June 5. On June 6, the index should be around 58. The air quality index, or AQI, is a standardized rating system that assesses the severity of air pollution on a scale ranging from 0 to 500. The higher the number, the worse the quality. An AQI below 50 is considered optimal; between 51 and 100 is considered moderate; and above 100, unhealthy. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Air quality index worsens nears Delaware. See the air quality map
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Massive Saharan dust cloud moving toward US. Will it have any impact on WA?
A large plume of dust from the Saharan Desert is expected to drift across a good chunk of parts of the southeastern U.S. by the end of the week, forecasters say. According to AccuWeather, the Saharan dust will continue to move across the Atlantic and cross the Caribbean and into the U.S. on Thursday, starting with parts of Florida and South Carolina. It will continue to drift across the southeast region of the country on Friday. The plume is about 2,000 miles wide from east to west and 750 miles long from north to south, AccuWeather states. The plume — the apparently largest to reach the U.S. so far this year — is expected to continue on over the Gulf Coast in the following days. But will the dust cloud reach Washington state, or impact the air quality in the Pacific Northwest region? Most of the dust will likely remain thousands of feet high in the atmosphere, meaning it should have minimal impact on air quality at the ground level, even in states it's expected to cross over. That means that Washington state and the Pacific Northwest region shouldn't experience any impact from the storm. Still, if you're in the southeastern region of the U.S., AccuWeather warns that, 'People who are sensitive to dust or vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality should monitor air quality conditions and forecasts.' Air quality forecasts can be found at the National Weather Service website or at Other impacts from the dust cloud could include hazy conditions in some parts of the country, more colorful sunrises and sunsets and a slight cooling effect in some areas. While the current Saharan plume is unusually large, dust from the Sahara Desert blows out toward the U.S. often. According to NASA, winds pick up an estimated 100 million tons of dust from the Sahara Desert every year — a sizable amount blows out over the North Atlantic Ocean. Dust plays a major role in Earth's climate and biological systems. The airborne particles absorb and reflect sunlight, which impacts the amount of solar energy that reaches the surface. The particles also can promote or reduce cloud and storm formation. The dust, which is rich in iron and other minerals, can act as a natural fertilizer for ocean ecosystems and lands downwind. The Sahara Desert is Earth's largest source of airborne dust. In winter and spring storms, Saharan dust often fertilizes the soils of the Amazon rainforest.