This weekend began with temperatures below normal levels in more than half of the country. Snow even fell in some areas of the province of Buenos Aires, as occurred last Friday night in some towns near Mar del Plata.
Although some provinces are no longer under warning, the SMN issued a yellow level alert for the Greater Buenos Aires area and much of the interior of the province of Buenos Aires, where minimum temperatures of up to -2 degrees are expected.
The same warning applies to the entire territory of the provinces of Entre Ríos, Corrientes, Misiones and La Rioja, part of Córdoba, the north of San Luis, the west of San Juan, more than half of Santiago del Estero, the south-central and northeast of Santa Fe, the northeast of Salta and the southeast of Jujuy.
In this sense, low temperatures will be around one or zero degrees, while highs will barely exceed 15, so they will be days of extreme cold.
In all these areas, low temperatures could affect the health of some people, especially children, people over 65 years of age and patients with chronic diseases.
Over the past week, extreme cold in Patagonia has been accompanied by heavy snowfall, blocking the main access roads in provinces such as Chubut.
Fortunately, weather conditions have improved in this regard, as only one snow alert is in effect in the entire mountainous area of Neuquén. However, the cold continues to wreak havoc in Santa Cruz, where two warnings are in effect.
On the one hand, a yellow alert is in effect in the southeastern region of the Patagonian province, while in the mountainous area and the northwestern region the warning level is red, which means that low temperatures can affect the health of all people.
How to protect yourself from extreme cold
SMN authorities stressed that low temperatures could cause health complications for residents, so they issued a series of recommendations to avoid putting themselves at risk. They also stressed the importance of going to the doctor if mood swings or discomfort are detected.
Do not expose yourself to the cold for long periods of time.
Dress in many layers of light clothing.
Generate body heat through movement.
Avoid sudden changes in temperature.
Drink plenty of fluids (not alcoholic beverages).
Pay attention to children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
Do not self-medicate if you are affected by the cold, but consult a doctor.
No smoking indoors.
Heating rooms safely.