By Kolby LaMarche

Burlington residents are about to face one of the most severe cold snaps in recent memory this weekend, as a powerful arctic air mass descends on northern Vermont and the Champlain Valley. 

The National Weather Service Burlington office has issued an Extreme Cold Watch from 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 23, through 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 24, warning of dangerously low wind chills that could reach several degrees below zero across much of the region. 

Frostbite will be possible on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

Forecasts indicate that Friday night into Saturday morning will bring the peak danger. Overnight lows are expected to dip to around -5°F to -10°F in the Burlington area, but combined with gusty northwest winds of 10-20 mph (and higher gusts possible), wind chills may plummet to -20°F for some residents. 

Some locations, particularly in higher elevations, valleys with calm winds, or across the Adirondacks, could see wind chills approaching or reaching -40°F. 

In direct response, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, after consulting with the City’s Emergency Management Director, has authorized the activation of a low-barrier extreme cold weather shelter at the Robert Miller Community Center, 130 Gosse Court. 

The shelter, staffed by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) in partnership with the City of Burlington, will open for overnight stays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on these dates:

• Friday, January 23 into Saturday, January 24
• Saturday, January 24 into Sunday, January 25
• Sunday, January 25 into Monday, January 26
• Monday, January 26 into Tuesday, January 27 morning

This facility is open exclusively to adults 18 years and older. It operates on a low-barrier basis—no pre-registration is required, sobriety restrictions do not apply, and anyone can arrive during operating hours. Pets are explicitly allowed. 

Transportation to the Miller Center will be provided beginning at 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. each activation day from key pickup points: the COTS Daystation at 95 North Ave., the CVOEO Community Resource Center at 228 N. Winooski Ave., and Fletcher Free Library at 235 College St.

The shelter serves as a short-term, last-resort emergency measure, activated when forecasts meet the City’s criteria—typically sustained temperatures at or below -10°F for at least four hours, per state-sanctioned guidelines. 

It has capacity for up to around 100 people and is designed to offer safe warming, rest, and basic support during disaster-level cold. 

City officials and emergency management teams are monitoring conditions hourly, the City says. Residents are strongly encouraged to stay indoors as much as possible, check frequently on elderly neighbors, family members, or anyone experiencing homelessness, bring pets inside, and take preventive steps like dripping faucets to avoid frozen pipes. 

If venturing out is unavoidable, dress in multiple layers, cover exposed skin, and seek to limit any time outside.

Saturday daytime highs may struggle to climb above 0°F to 4°F—potentially marking the first subzero high temperature in Burlington since January 2018. Winds will ease somewhat by Saturday afternoon, but wind chills could remain in the -10°F to -20°F range through the day.

The cold will linger into Sunday, with highs only reaching the single digits (around 8°F) and overnight lows near or below 0°F. 

While a gradual moderation is expected by Monday, the weekend’s arctic outbreak—driven by a strong Canadian high-pressure system following possible light snow squalls earlier in the week—represents a significant threat to public safety, the City said, especially for those without adequate shelter, vulnerable populations, pets, and infrastructure like Burlington’s aging water pipes.