Yellow Cold Alert Hits Six CDMX Alcaldías as Lows Drop to 4 Degrees

Mexico City’s civil protection agency has put six alcaldías (city boroughs) under a Yellow Alert for cold, with temperatures forecast to fall to between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius before dawn and into the morning of Saturday, Nov. 7.

The Secretaría de Gestión Integral de Riesgos y Protección Civil, or SGIRPC (the city’s risk management and civil protection ministry), announced the alert on Friday, Nov. 6. The coldest stretch is expected between 02:00 and 08:00 on Saturday, according to Publimetro and Sociedad Noticias.

Which alcaldías are under the Yellow Alert

The alert covers the southern and western edges of the city, where higher ground usually brings colder nights:

• Álvaro Obregón
• Cuajimalpa
• La Magdalena Contreras
• Milpa Alta
• Tlalpan
• Xochimilco

Residents of these areas who commute early, walk to transit stops before sunrise or work outdoors will face the lowest readings. TV Azteca reported that the air should start to warm by about 8:00, though cool conditions are expected to linger through the day.

What it means for the weekend

For people living in the six alcaldías, the alert means a sharp drop on the thermometer during the hours when many leave home for work or errands. The SGIRPC asked residents to take extra care during those morning trips. Homes without central heating, which is common across the city, will feel the change most.

The authorities also issued a warning about indoor heating. Anyone using a space heater or a fireplace should keep the room ventilated, the agency said, to avoid poisoning from gases that build up in closed spaces.

Cold Front 4 brings showers and gusty wind

The cold arrives with Cold Front 4 (frente frío número 4). Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, or SMN (the national weather service), said Cold Front 4 is being reinforced by a mass of cold air over northeastern Mexico, creating unstable conditions in several regions.

For Friday, the SMN forecast intervals of showers in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. TV Azteca reported winds of 10 to 20 km/h in the capital, with gusts of 30 to 50 km/h. The front is also interacting with a low-pressure trough over the east and southeast of the country, bringing heavy rain with lightning in some areas. In the higher parts of the State of Mexico, overnight lows of 0 to 5 degrees are expected.

What civil protection recommends

The SGIRPC published a list of precautions for the cold snap:

• Wear at least three layers of clothing, ideally cotton or wool.
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature, such as stepping from a warm room straight into the cold.
• Drink enough water through the day.
• Eat fruit and vegetables with vitamins A and C.
• Use moisturizing cream to protect the skin.
• Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer.
• Go to the nearest health center if you feel unwell.

City officials are also promoting the “onion” method of dressing, TV Azteca reported. The first layer is thermal clothing to stay dry, the second keeps body heat in, and the outer layer blocks rain and wind.

The alert applies to the early hours of Saturday. Residents outside the six listed alcaldías can still expect a cool, damp weekend as Cold Front 4 moves through central Mexico.

Sources: Publimetro México, Sociedad Noticias, TV Azteca