Coldest air of season hits Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- People across the Delaware Valley are bundling up as the coldest air of the season hits the region.

"Bundled up and reassuring to go home, it's too cold out here," said Shonda Allen-Carter from Overbrook Park.

"You should be bundled up! Yeah it's pretty cold out, everything that I do is really cold, just gotta make sure that you got a scarf on and you'll be good," said Susan Thomas of Lonsdale.

Waiting for a bus in this kind of weather was better suited for penguins.

"I hate cold weather, this is not my time of year and it's funny 'cause I just turned my heat on yesterday in preparation for this weather. I'm bundled up, I have three layers," said Francis Connell from the Wynnfield section.

At Dick's Sporting Goods in Cherry Hill, we found people shopping for their cold weather gear. There was plenty in stock, from gloves, scarves and jackets to bundle up in.

And with the bitter cold, it makes for dangerous conditions for the homeless sleeping under bridges. A number of municipalities have declared code blues. That's when places like Joseph's House in Camden play a crucial role.

"We have a 92-bed capacity, once we reach that capacity we have other locations throughout the city that we send guests to," said Shawn Sheekey, executive director of Joseph's House.

Judith Laczynski got here early to pick out her cot where she will be sleeping the next two nights.

"It's gonna be very cold," she said.

"A lot of your friends are gonna get off the street tonight because of the cold?" asked reporter Dann Cuellar.

"Yes, and that's a blessed thing," she said.

And on a night like this, public safety officials are asking residents to check on your elderly neighbors, your handicap neighbors and help make sure animals are out of the cold.