Brrr... 🥶

Also: Mass. regulators order utilities to cut gas rates; an interview with Boston's outgoing public safety adviser [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 3, 2023 🥶 COLD (with a low around -8 tonight). Good Morning Boston, Do the Red Sox have any more room in [those trucks]( Because I would also like to sneak away to Florida today. It’s about to get real cold here in New England. We’re talking actual temperatures in the negative single, if not double, digits tonight — and the blustery winds will make it feel more like -30 or lower. In [parts of northern New Hampshire and Maine]( the wind chills are expected to plummet below -50. Here's [the timing of the lowest wind chills]( across Massachusetts. (Also, ever wonder how wind chill is calculated? [This chart explains]( The faint silver lining here is we should have double-digit temps through this morning, so there's still time to prepare before it's so cold it feels like your face will fall off. Here are some things to know: - For when you're going out: Try to be home for the coldest hours overnight; meteorologist Danielle Noyes says [wind chills this low can cause frostbite in as little as 15 minutes](. But if you plan to be out, cover up as much as possible. Wear layers of loose-fighting clothing, a hat and some mittens (which are better than gloves in the cold). Read [more tips here from a dogsled musher]( on how to stay warm in the extreme cold. - Prepare your car: AAA spokeswoman Mary Maguire says batteries that are over five years old (or maybe infrequently used, if you're working from home) face a real risk of dying due to the cold. - You can check your battery to see if it's OK by [requesting a mobile test from AAA]( or [taking your car to an auto shop](. Maguire also suggests simply taking your car out for a 30 minute drive early today if it's been sitting around. - More suggestions if you're driving: [Pack a winter emergency kit]( with things like blankets, flashlights and jumper cables. And check your tires to make sure they're properly inflated. - MBTA officials say riders should plan for train and bus delays, as the extreme cold can cause issues for vehicles' doors and brakes. (As [a former MBTA general manager once said]( the system isn't designed for "Siberian temperatures.") - It's also too cold for construction — so the Sumner Tunnel [will stay open all weekend](. - MassPort is preparing for possible delays at Logan airport, so check your flight before heading out. - For when you're home: Don't feel too guilty about turning up the heat. The Department of Public Utilities ordered energy companies in Massachusetts to lower their natural gas rates, effective this past Wednesday. That means the average gas customer should see a 4-5% decrease in their next monthly utility bill in March. (National Grid says that translates to a savings of about $11 per month.) WBUR's Miriam Wasser has [more details on the DPU's decision here](. - Prepare your house: Check out [this guide on how to prevent and address frozen pipes]( as well as keep your rooms warm. - Be a good neighbor: Officials across the region are urging residents to check in on the elderly during the cold snap. - Last but not least: [Don’t forget your pets](. As the [state website notes]( "If it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pets." - Boston Public Schools is calling a snow day of sorts (a cold day?) since many students walk or have to wait outside for public transportation in order to get to class. That also means BPS's deadline for [Round 1 priority school registration]( will be extended to Monday. WBUR's Max Larkin [has more info here](. - Worcester and Springfield public schools are also closed today. WCVB has [a full list of school cancellations here](. - Woburn schools remain closed due to the ongoing teachers' strike. But union leaders are optimistic that classes might resume Monday after making "significant progress" at the bargaining table Thursday. - Meanwhile, local leaders are mobilizing to ensure no one is spending the night out in the cold. WBUR's Irina Matchavariani reports that Boston's largest homeless shelter, Pine Street Inn, expects to surpass its usual capacity of 500 beds. Gov. Maura Healey has also ordered South Station to stay open 24/7 this weekend. (The station [recently faced criticism for locking out the homeless]( on cold nights.) - What can you do? Donate warm clothes. Pine Street spokeswoman Barbara Trevisan says people without homes are often in distress and refuse to spend nights in the shelter. So, they're looking for [simple donations]( like socks, hats and gloves — or maybe even mittens. And be sure to call 911 if you see anyone experiencing homelessness outside in frigid conditions. P.S.— Do you know what activity was legalized in Massachusetts this week? Then [take our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Something frigid this way comes]( It won't be around for too long, but Massachusetts may see some of the coldest weather it's experienced in years Friday evening into Saturday. [Read more.]( [Something frigid this way comes]( It won't be around for too long, but Massachusetts may see some of the coldest weather it's experienced in years Friday evening into Saturday. [Read more.]( [Boston's outgoing public safety adviser reflects on how violence in the city has changed in 5 years]( Rufus Faulk, who was appointed by former Mayor Marty Walsh, will be replaced by his friend and mentee Isaac Yablo. [Read more.]( [Boston's outgoing public safety adviser reflects on how violence in the city has changed in 5 years]( Rufus Faulk, who was appointed by former Mayor Marty Walsh, will be replaced by his friend and mentee Isaac Yablo. [Read more.]( [4 key takeaways from the 2023 'Condition of Education' data report]( A new data report from the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, a non-partisan education think tank, attempts to measure some of the ways the pandemic is still impacting students. [Read more.]( [4 key takeaways from the 2023 'Condition of Education' data report]( A new data report from the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, a non-partisan education think tank, attempts to measure some of the ways the pandemic is still impacting students. [Read more.]( [Admissions policy at Mass. vocational schools target of new federal civil rights complaint]( The complaint asks the U.S. DOE’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate the state’s policy of vocational school admissions and withhold funding until state officials implement a more equitable system — such as a lottery. [Read more.]( [Admissions policy at Mass. vocational schools target of new federal civil rights complaint]( The complaint asks the U.S. DOE’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate the state’s policy of vocational school admissions and withhold funding until state officials implement a more equitable system — such as a lottery. [Read more.]( [2 Afghan families still living in a Newburyport church basement after more than a year]( Advocates in Newburyport say new housing solutions are needed for these families and others who've been forcibly displaced worldwide. They're working to create "resettlement homes." [Read more.]( [2 Afghan families still living in a Newburyport church basement after more than a year]( Advocates in Newburyport say new housing solutions are needed for these families and others who've been forcibly displaced worldwide. They're working to create "resettlement homes." [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Think it's getting cold where you live? WBUR's Samantha Coetzee [talked to the meteorologists who work atop Mount Washington](. Officials are bracing for "a generational cold event" with mind-boggling windchills that may drop below -100 degrees. Suffice it to say, officials are warning the winter hiking community against venturing out. - Stage Source — the subscription-based nonprofit that worked to welcome, connect and support local theater artists — is closing up shop after nearly 40 years. Theater writer Jacquinn Sinclair [reports]( the closure comes amid dwindling membership, smaller audiences due to the pandemic and loss of the theater workforce. - Most stories about dating chatbots are framed in one of two ways — either a love story with the bot or something more unseemly. But this week, Endless Thread [tells a real-life AI love story that breaks those molds](. - After getting a new puppy, Julie Wittes Schlack [writes in this essay for Cognoscenti]( that the dog "is training me more than I am training her."  What We're Reading 📚 - Where would your favorite TV characters live in Greater Boston? ([Boston.com]( - Frasier revival will bring Kelsey Grammer back to Boston (and maybe a certain bar) ([Entertainment Weekly]( - My Printer Is Extorting Me ([The Atlantic](  Food for Thought [Here & Now | Dark chocolate is high in cadmium and lead. How much is safe to eat?]( Consumer Reports health and food safety team tested 28 popular dark chocolate bar brands and found that all of them contained metals. But experts say you can control your exposure to these heavy metals by making a couple of simple changes. [Read more.]( [Here & Now | Dark chocolate is high in cadmium and lead. How much is safe to eat?]( Consumer Reports health and food safety team tested 28 popular dark chocolate bar brands and found that all of them contained metals. But experts say you can control your exposure to these heavy metals by making a couple of simple changes. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [previews this month's can't-miss local events, happenings and... date-ready tea rooms?]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [That will not do, Donkey.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.