Freezing temps can cause dangerous conditions for pets, cars

Wind chill and frigid air will make temperatures feel below zero at some points on Tuesday.

It will be well below freezing, meaning people and their animals should be staying inside.

"Even if you leave your dog outside all the time, which you shouldn't be, today's the day to bring it inside, do not let it outside," says Gary Rogers, of the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Frostbite, hypothermia can happen really, really fast and there's no reversing it."

Rogers say once it gets into the 30s in Nassau County, it's a crime to leave pets outside.

He says anyone who sees a pet outside in the bitter cold can call or the SPCA or 911 if they suspect animal abuse.

The cold will also put stress on a car's battery.

Robert Sinclair, with AAA, say the battery can lose about 30% of its power when the temperature is freezing and up to 60% of its power if the temperatures get down to single digits.

He says they have hundreds of road service vehicles on standby and one out of three calls come from home.

"We give a priority to those that might be out on the road and stuck, particularly if their engine is not running, particularly if they've got children and pets with them," Sinclair says.

He also does not recommend people to let their vehicle run before they head out.

Sinclair says it's a waste of gasoline and puts emissions into the air.

Nassau County has three warming centers that will be open 24 hours a day through Wednesday.

They are located in Hicksville, Uniondale and Wantagh