How to stay warm, protect your home, pets in bitter cold

PITTSBURGH — As the Pittsburgh region experiences an arctic blast, experts share helpful tips on how to protect your home, pets, and loved ones from the frigid temperatures.

“Things that are at risk are your fingers, toes, ears, and nose those are the places we see frostbit the most, which is why scarves, earmuffs, good gloves, and good boots are really key,” said Dr. Todd Wolynn, the Executive Director of the Trusted Messenger Program.

Dr. Wolynn warned that to stay safe, you have to prepare accordingly.

“Make sure you are changing clothes when they get wet and dressing in layers, also make sure you go indoors periodically to warm up if you are going to go out and enjoy the outdoors,” he explained.

While many experts believe that 30 minutes is likely the maximum time that vulnerable populations like the elderly and young kids should spend outside, for healthy adults’ exposure times could vary.

“Healthy kids that are dressed appropriately as long as they are staying warm, and they are not shivering, and there is no blue color to the skin they can spend much longer times outdoors,” Wolynn said.

As for our pets, they too are vulnerable during extremely cold temperatures.

“These temperatures can be dangerous for our pets even 30 minutes outside can be a little bit too long for them, they can get injuries to their paw pads that cold can impact their physical health,” said Lauren Leffakis at Animal Friends.

By law, pets are not allowed to be outside in below-freezing temperatures unsupervised for longer than 30 minutes, so if you notice a dog that has been outside for a while – contact your police department.

Cats and dogs like humans are extremely vulnerable during extreme weather events, but it can be more challenging to recognize the signs in pets. They may appear to be enjoying the snow, but experts warn it’s important to limit their exposure to the extreme cold.

We asked what pet owners should look for…experts say dogs or cats will typically begin to:

• Shiver
• Hold their paws or hunch tucking their tail.
• Bark or become extremely anxious.

“If their paws are getting cold some of the salts can irritate them, they may start picking up their feet, they may try to lick at their feet, or if they’re visibly shaking it is time to come inside,” Leffakis said,

And when it comes to preparing your home, People’s Gas recommends:

• Keep the space around your furnace clear.
• Remove snow and ice from around your gas meters.
• Conserve gas by lowering the thermostat and bundling up with blankets.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group