Frigid conditions might have claimed life

TWIN CITIES

Man’s death investigated; cold week ahead

Clear skies and single-digit temperatures envelop St. Paul on Thursday. Expect temperatures to moderate Friday and Saturday, with snow Friday evening, before plunging back in the deep freeze into next week. JOHN AUTEY — PIONEER PRESS

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By Frederick Melo

fmelo@pioneerpress.com

With low temperatures forecast to drop below zero in five of the next seven days, the Salvation Army has added 40 additional beds to its Harbor Light emergency shelter near Target Field in downtown Minneapolis and will keep seven service sites open across the Twin Cities as warming centers during daytime business hours.

“When the weather is more severe than usual, we make sure the service centers are open during the day as a place for people to go,” said Dan Furry, a spokesman for the Salvation Army Northern Division.

The Salvation Army is inviting visitors to stop by during the day for a hot beverage.

Locations include the St. Paul East Side Salvation Army, 1019 Payne Ave., the St. Paul West Seventh Salvation Army, 401 W. Seventh St., and the Maplewood Salvation Army, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., as well as sites in Brooklyn Park, North Minneapolis, Northeast Minneapolis and South Minneapolis.

St. Paul death being investigated as cold-related

Frigid temperatures can be life-threatening. A man was found dead in downtown St. Paul Wednesday morning and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office is looking into whether his death was related to the cold. The 36-year-old was found on the side of a building and lying against an exhaust vent that puts out warmer air, a place that unsheltered people often use to keep warm at night, said Nikki Muehlhausen, a St. Paul police spokeswoman.

During frigid weather in the beginning of December, the death of a 49-year-old man who was found outside in St. Paul has been ruled as being caused by the cold. It was the first exposure death of the season reported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The “Arctic Overflow” accommodations at the Harbor Light Center at 1010 Currie Ave. in Minneapolis will be available overnight through the end of February and any other night when the wind chill is expected to approach zero degrees or lower. Those seeking emergency overnight shelter should contact Adult Shelter Connect at 612-248-2350 and check for availability.

According to the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, temperatures in the Twin Cities peaked at 10 degrees Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to warm into the mid-20s Friday and Saturday but then forecast to fall sharply. Daytime highs in the low single digits are expected Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with even lower wind chill values. Overnight lows in the teens below zero are also expected.

How to help

To donate to the Salvation Army:

• Make a gift by visiting SalvationArmyNorth.org.

• Call the Salvation Army at 651-746-3491 during business hours.

• Drop off or mail a check to The Salvation Army, 2445 Prior Ave N, Roseville, MN 55113

Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this report.