Cold to grip Lehigh Valley. Here’s how to stay warm.

The next few days are going to be very cold in the Lehigh Valley.

While snow is the most immediate concern for Friday, temperatures will continue to be below freezing through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

On Wednesday, temperatures reached the single digits for the first time this month. Weather service data shows the Allentown area recorded a low of 7 then. While temperatures are not expected to go that low, they are going to be in the teens Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With wind, it will feel even colder than that.

Wind chills Friday night and Saturday will be in the single digits, according to the weather service’s forecast discussion Thursday.

Shelters in the Lehigh Valley

For those seeking shelter from the cold in the Lehigh Valley, the YMCA Allentown Warming Station and the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter are both open to help people experiencing homelessness.

The Allentown Warming Station, at 425 15th St., is open from 7 p.m. through 7 a.m. through April 15. The facility has a capacity 60 beds for anyone 18 and older. The intake process includes filling out paperwork and undergoing a Megan’s Law and criminal background check, according to Greater Valley YMCA spokesperson Dillon Lee.

The shelter will open early, at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Dinner is served from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night for registered guests, Lee said. Showers are also available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, at 72 E. Market St., allows guests over 18 to enter between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. They must get a voucher from Bethlehem police at 10 E. Church St. before going to the shelter.

Dinner is served there between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Guests are woken up at 6 a.m. and must leave by 6:45 a.m.

The shelter has 70 beds, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Any changes in timing will be shared on the shelter’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/BethlehemEmergencyShelterin, according to shelter director Bob Rapp.

Nearby Bucks County will remain under a “Code Blue” through Sunday, which means shelters will be open in different parts of the county. The Upper Bucks County shelter is Quakertown Masonic Lodge at 501 W. Broad St. in Quakertown, according to a county news release. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

Preparing for the cold

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has several tips for handling the cold as temperatures drop.

To prevent pipes from freezing, people may run a slow trickle of water on extremely cold days, according to PEMA. Open flames and heat guns should not be used to thaw frozen pipes because they often cause fires, according to officials.

Generators and gas heaters should not be used indoors, and ovens should not be used to heat a home because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or fires, PEMA said. Officials recommend drivers have a full tank of gas and a blanket in case they get stranded.

Plants that may not be able to make it through extreme cold should be covered in burlap or other material, PEMA said.

Wind and extreme cold can cause rapid onset of frostbite and hypothermia.

Frostbite, which is frozen tissue usually on extremities, can lead to permanent damage if not treated, according to PEMA. It’s usually seen first as redness or pain, then numbness.

Hypothermia happens when body temperature drops below 95. It requires immediate medical attention, emergency officials said.

Temperatures are expected to return to above freezing Monday.