Princeton To Open Warming Centers Through Friday As Temperatures Dip

PRINCETON, NJ – With an Arctic polar vortex set to bring freezing temperatures to NJ this week, Princeton will open warming centers for residents through Friday, Jan. 24.

These warming centers will provide a safe space for residents who need them.

Here’s where the warming centers are located and their timings:

• Witherspoon Hall, Community Room
  400 Witherspoon St.
  Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monument Hall, Conference Room
  1 Monument Dr.
  Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Princeton Public Library
  65 Witherspoon St.
  Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
• Princeton Center for Modern Aging (Both Locations)
  45 Stockton Street, (PSRC) or 101 Poor Farm Road
  Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Officials in Princeton are requesting residents to check on their neighbors, especially seniors and those who may be vulnerable to the cold.

This week, the Garden State will experience some of the coldest temperatures seen in years, according to forecasters.

This cold weather is due to the Arctic polar vortex - a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the North Pole. During wintertime and when the jet stream allows, the vortex can head further south as is happening now, blasting the U.S. with frigid air.

A cold weather advisory has been issued statewide through 12 p.m. Wednesday, with wind chills expected to get as low as 10 below zero, according to the National Weather Service. In conditions like this, frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes.

“This has been a cold month over a large portion of the country, but up until now, the cold has not been extreme over a large part of the country. The most remarkable aspect of the recent cold has been its persistence,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Northeast U.S. Expert Bob Larson said. “The extreme cold outbreak now arriving adds an exclamation mark to what has already been a cold month of January, which according to historical average, is on average, the coldest month of the year.”

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com