Record cold takes big toll on the region

A fresh blast of Arctic air sweeping the region has made the North Shore feel more like the North Pole, prompting local communities to button up for record cold for the second time in a week.

Bone dry, cold air from northern Canada was expected to bring record temperatures of 1 to 6 below zero today and tomorrow, and wind-chill readings of 15 below zero, said Mike Jackson, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton.

"It hasn't been this cold in a couple of decades," Jackson said in an interview Tuesday. "The wind flow is coming out of northern Canada, near the North Pole. It's mighty cold up there. That's why the temperature is dropping."

Not too many New England winters go by without a blast of Arctic cold. What's unusual is a one-two punch that started last week, when temperatures reached a low of 5 below zero and a high of 11 degrees in Salem on Jan. 10, said Arthur Francis, a professor of weather and climate at Salem State College.

"It's unusual to have two [Arctic fronts] go and come back so quickly," said Francis, a retired meteorologist. "To have a little intermission [on Monday and Tuesday], where temperatures went up into the 30s is unusual."

Francis said no great climatological event is causing the deep freeze from Canada. It's just the fickleness of winter in New England. The severe cold has challenged homeowners, service providers, and people who must work outdoors. It also is expected to strain municipal budgets further, local officials say.

Still, the Big Chill isn't enough to stop many hardy New Englanders. Twenty-two people plunged into the ocean last Saturday as part of the Portsmouth, N.H., Rotary Club's first Polar Bear Swim. The Saugus Planning Board trekked around the landfill at the Wheelabrator trash-to-energy plant near the Rumney Marsh. As steam rose from the Atlantic, Planning Board members bundled up for a one-hour visit to the site of a proposed industrial park.

The extreme cold can be unforgiving. As firefighters from eight area communities battled a four-alarm house fire in Revere last Sunday, parts of engines and hydrants froze, restricting water. Firefighters who slipped and fell on ice were treated for minor injuries at area hospitals.

"The conditions were brutal. We're just hoping we don't see something like that this weekend," Revere Fire Chief Eugene Doherty said.

Higher municipal fuel costs are expected in the region, as communities guard against ruptured pipes in public buildings. A burst pipe that flooded the Children's Room at the Beverly Public Library is expected to cost $1,000 to $2,000 to fix, said Library Director Thomas Scully.

Frozen sprinklers caused minor flooding at Salem and Gloucester high schools. On Sunday, a sprinkler head popped off in the lobby of Gloucester High. At Salem High, a burst sprinkler Monday flooded six classrooms and two corridors, forcing classes to be held in cafeterias, the auditorium, and library, a school official said.

Burst pipes also closed the Whalen School in Revere and the Harrington School in Lynn for a day last week. "The cold really does a number on old school buildings," said Lynn School Superintendent Nicholas Kostan. A rash of water main breaks across the region could prove to be the biggest problem for local communities, however. Public works crews and firefighters in Saugus, Chelsea, Revere, Everett and elsewhere worked round the clock last week, fixing public water mains and responding to calls from homeowners whose pipes burst, officials said.

"It's going to have a big impact on my [water system] line item [in the budget]," said Joseph Attubato, public works director in Saugus, who said crews were called out as late as 3 a.m. to respond to water main breaks. "We try to be as helpful as we can with residents, but as far as making repairs goes, they have to get a plumber."

In Everett, the Water Department so far this winter has spent $15,000 for private contractors to repair broken water mains, more than twice the $6,000 the city spent on outside help all of last winter, superintendent Glenn Garbati said.

"It's hitting us pretty hard," Garbati said. "We worked all weekend, repairing water main breaks throughout the city. So far, though, it's been the side streets that have given us the most trouble. We haven't had any problems on any of the main roads -- Ferry, Main, or Broadway. I'm just hoping our luck lasts. The weather is supposed to get worse by the end of the week."

Winthrop is bracing for another flood of calls from residents mopping up from burst pipes. "It's unusual, the amount of service we had to provide with the cold snap," said Larry Holmes, the acting public works director. "We're looking at it again for this weekend. People should know to let faucets drip so pipes don't freeze."

Calls for help also came from local residents needing heat assistance. State law requires landlords to keep apartments heated at 68 degrees from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 64 degrees from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. In Lynn, however, about 20 residents called the local Health Department complaining of no heat. Only one complaint against a landlord will be filed in court, said Marie MacDonald, acting public health director.

"The landlords really are being cooperative," MacDonald said. "They're sealing up windows until they can order new ones. Everyone seems to know it's cold."

Fuel assistance programs also expect a spike in demand for assistance to continue this weekend.

"Our call volume has nearly doubled, from no more than 20 calls a day to nearly 40," said Elliott Jacobson, energy director at Action Inc. in Gloucester, serving seven Cape Ann communities. "When it gets really cold in the house, for many people, that's the motivating factor."

Community Action in Haverhill received about 120 phone calls a day for heating help, about 20 percent more than average, said John Condon, director of the fuel assistance program. While most made it through last week's cold snap, many now are in danger of running out of oil or money to pay for it, he said.

One resident looking to conserve fuel shut off her heat last week. But that led to a burst pipe and a call for help to clean up that mess. Condon is prepared for new calls as temperatures plunge again. Said Condon, "We've got a feeling this one is going to be bad."

Advocates for the homeless also are working to make sure no one is left out in the cold. Emergency shelters in Beverly and Gloucester plan to stay open 24 hours this weekend.

In Salisbury, Pettengill House, a nonprofit agency, helped 15 homeless families find shelter at local hotels last week. Director Deb Smith, expects more calls for help this weekend." I don't see any end to it," she said of the need for shelter during the extreme cold.

Brenda J. Buote, Meredith Goldstein and Steven Rosenberg of the Globe Staff contributed to this report. Kathy McCabe can be reached by e-mail at kmccabe@globe.com