Sonoma County Health Officials Issue Freeze Warning

The County of Sonoma issued a freeze warning in response to the National Weather Service’s prediction for freezing overnight lows Wednesday night through Monday morning, that could result in snow and black ice. Officials recommend that residents limit time outdoors, as serious medical conditions including hypothermia and frostbite can develop with prolonged cold weather exposure.

Prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures can lead to hypothermia. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that causes a dangerously low body temperature and can be fatal if untreated. Symptoms of hypothermia include confusion, dizziness, exhaustion, severe shivering, clumsiness, slurred speech or mumbling drowsiness, weak pulse, slow, shallow breathing and progressive loss of consciousness. Seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.

In addition, inclement weather can create a higher risk of car accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. Stay off the roads if possible. If you will be using a fireplace, wood stove or kerosene heater, be sure to have a smoke and carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Additional cold weather safety tips include:

Drive slowly and be on the lookout for hazardous travel with slick road conditions including possible ponding on roads and freeway off-ramps and minor flooding in low-lying or poor drainage areas.

Unsheltered community members, older adults, children and those with access and functional needs should seek shelter now as they are at higher risks of hypothermia.

Avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day, or for extended periods of time in extreme cold weather.

Dress in layers, wear a hat, scarf, gloves and mittens, and waterproof, insulated boots to avoid hypothermia or frostbite.

Get out of wet clothes as soon as possible to reduce the risk of hypothermia.

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water with electrolytes.

Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and non-prescription medication if you will be staying outside as it may lead to death or serious injury.

Seek medical attention immediately and call 9-1-1 if you see someone experiencing hypothermia.

Individuals who are unhoused are recommended to locate their nearest shelter. Winter shelters have expanded capacity on a first-come, first-served basis, with many offering wraparound services as well. The following locations are offering services and/or shelter:

Reach For Home - located at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W. Matheson St. in Healdsburg. Winter operation hours will be in effect until Dec. 2 with check-in beginning at 6 p.m. each night. Limited dinners are available at 5:30 p.m. Guests must check out by 7 a.m. The shelter is open to adults and families.

Redwood Gospel Mission - located at Entertaining Angels Nomadic Shelter Program, 101 6th St., Santa Rosa, will begin accepting sober individuals and families daily at 11 a.m. Beds will be made available at 5 p.m., and guests must check out by 7 a.m. Individuals must have an ID.

West County Community Services - located at the Guerneville Veterans Building, 16255 First St., Guerneville, CA 95446. Winter capacity has been expanded by eight for a total of 35 beds.

In addition to the winter shelters and year-round operating shelters, Catholic Charities will operate a drop-in shelter out of the newly opened Caritas Center located at 301 6th St., Suite 108 in Santa Rosa. The center has an indoor capacity to shelter 78 individuals and, if needed, an outdoor courtyard within the facility will be warmed by low-profile radiant heaters to host up to an additional 90 individuals. The drop-in will operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until Dec. 2.

For more information on winter shelters visit: Socoemergency.org For information on preparing for extreme cold visit: Get Ready

Parks Update

A new section of split-rail fencing was installed near the pedestrian footbridge situated between Milan Court and Venezia Way at the end of the trail within the L&L District Jefferson Springs (see picture below).  The split rail is a safety improvement intended to clearly delineate the pedestrian areas and minimize access to the creek.  Winter tree pruning was also performed near the south entrance of the trail.

In collaboration with the Streets and Sewer Department, Parks staff worked diligently to spruce up the Downtown corridor in preparation for the Annual Winter Festival event. Parks staff coordinated with Recology to remove the final debris to improve conditions, for foot traffic, completing final maintenance activities at 6am Friday morning.

Leaf collection continued at Furber Park. Several truckloads were accumulated and hauled off to the compost box. The goal being to collect as much as possible before the Thursday storm. This leaf collection will continue over the next several weeks throughout all city parks.

Parking Lot Improvements at Furber Park

The Furber park parking lot received a new layer of slurry sealcoat this week (see picture below).  The sealcoat renews the asphalt's natural resistance to water, both waterproofing the top layer of asphalt and also making it more difficult for water to penetrate to the vulnerable deeper layers.

Second, sealcoat protects against oxidation caused by UV exposure. Third, sealcoat increases asphalt's protection from oil and other potentially destructive chemicals. Seal coat also improves asphalt on an aesthetic level, by restoring its lustrous black appearance. Following the application of a slurry seal coat, the parking lot along Elbridge Drive was restriped by Duran Paving and Grading. Special thanks to Joe Duran, who donated time and materials to install the slurry at no additional cost to the City.

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