County Executive Hughes urges safety
during severe winter weather

TRENTON — Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is reminding residents to take precautions against the extreme cold expected to grip the region beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through the holiday weekend. The forecast calls for overnight lows in the low teens, with daytime high temperatures peaking in the low to mid 20s Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts could make it feel even colder.

“Extremely cold temperatures are a danger to people and pets,” Mr. Hughes said. “Please take the necessary steps to stay warm and to check up on friends and loved ones who may be more sensitive to the bitter cold.”

For emergencies related to the cold weather, Mercer County residents should call 911 immediately. Mr. Hughes said people should check on children, elderly neighbors, family members, or any potentially at-risk individuals often to make certain they have functioning heating systems in their homes and cars. Also, it is crucial that anyone going outside, even for a brief time, dress warmly in layers, he said.

Mercer County also designates certain locations as warming sites, where people can escape the cold. All branches of the Mercer County Library System will be open Friday until 5 p.m.; all branches except Hollowbrook will be open Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and residents are welcome to use these sites. All branches will be closed Sunday and Monday for the Christmas holiday.

Homeless individuals will be able to seek refuge at the Rescue Mission of Trenton at 89 Ewing St., which is designated as a Code Blue shelter. Families in need of shelter during a Code Blue can call NJ 211, which can be reached by dialing 211, by texting your ZIP code to 898-211, or by chatting with someone on the NJ 211 website.