AccuWeather's Ali Reid was live from Burlington County, New Jersey, on Jan. 22 with tips on how to keep kids safe during extreme cold.
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00:00It's another brutally cold start this morning in the northeast making morning commutes especially
00:05challenging for families and children heading off to school. Our own Allie Reed is live this morning
00:11from Burlington County, New Jersey with crucial tips for keeping your kids safe
00:15in these frigid conditions. Allie what can you tell us?
00:22Well guys we know that it started off this morning here in New Jersey about four degrees.
00:27That was overnight into the early hours this morning. Those are single digits. Now we're
00:32sitting at about 11 degrees here in South Jersey Burlington County area of New Jersey.
00:37It's a cold one this morning there's no doubt about that and the last couple of days the
00:42conversation has revolved around not only caring for yourself right but for parents,
00:47guardians that might be sitting at home watching us right now. The other thing that I'm sure you're
00:51thinking about as maybe some of you are getting ready for school this morning too is making sure
00:56your children are protected too. A lot of them you know they tend to forget that they need to
01:00bundle up and stay warm right now but it is crucially important. Yesterday I take a look at
01:05this video this was over by a school in this general vicinity where a number of kids a good
01:11portion of kids walk to school in the morning. So when you're dealing with cold temperatures like
01:16this it is crucial that they are paying mind to the cold temperature here. Now winter mornings we
01:23know can be tough when heading out to school. Extreme cold adds another layer of danger. To
01:27protect children officials recommend dressing in warm layered clothing. Make sure they have a coat,
01:32hat, gloves, insulated boots, all of the essentials right. For those walking to school the risks are
01:37compounded by icy sidewalks and roads. Slippery surfaces can lead to falls while dark early
01:43mornings make children less visible to drivers. That's why reflective gear such as brightly
01:49colored backpacks or jackets can really make a big difference and school resource officers are
01:54also urging drivers to slow down and be extra alert in school zones. Drive like they're your
02:00kids walking to school as well. You know I know the speed limit here is 25 in the you know the
02:04school area just if you have to go under the speed limit because of the road conditions and the kids
02:08crossing then that's what you have to do. I would just make sure that they're dressed appropriately
02:12for the weather. I mean it's very cold out here. Make sure they're wearing coats, hats, you know
02:16proper foot attire especially with all the ice on the road. So just leaving the house
02:22appropriately dressed I would say is the biggest thing.
02:27Parents should encourage children to avoid shortcuts through poorly maintained areas and
02:32most importantly remember to plan ahead, leave early, prioritize safety over speed. Now is a
02:38great time for families to have those safety conversations especially about the importance
02:42of dressing for the weather and being extra careful around icy roads and for drivers patience
02:47is key and if you live in New Jersey because it's coming for me I am a Jersey girl I feel like I am
02:53clear to say this slow down. Okay I know how we are we are pedal to the metal here in Jersey and
02:59if we're going to take some time to really just slow things down be a little bit more cautious
03:03this is the week to do so and again it's cold. Bundle up. This is not just a good reminder for
03:08children this is also a great reminder for you too. Yeah those that are watching right now I'm
03:13looking at you and through your tv screen it is cold this morning don't take any chances it's not
03:18worth it. Bundle up add the extra layers on this morning to stay warm. I feel like that's the it's
03:25an obvious right guys it has to be. Yeah it's I think maybe not so obvious because everyone's
03:30like oh it's supposed to be cold in January but these temperatures well below the historical
03:34average the accurate the real field temperature is plummeting so add an extra layer even more than
03:39you typically would in January. Better be safe than sorry or in this case better be safe than
03:43cold. Yes absolutely. Allie Reed live from Burlington County a frigid Burlington County New Jersey this morning.