Jan. 16--Is it just you, or is this morning really cold?

Don't be fooled if there's no snow or ice outside. The current deep freeze's benign appearance presents subtle dangers, some experts warn. So everyone from the homeless to the propertied are taking precautions against the cold.

"We're giving out hats, coats and gloves to people" said Lee Clark, director of development at the Roanoke Rescue Mission. "The demand is up about 20 percent from last year."

The National Weather Service forecasted lows near 10 degrees this morning and possibly as low as zero for Saturday morning. Roanoke hasn't hit zero or below since a low of minus 1 on Feb. 5, 1996.

True, this week won't challenge the January 1985 polar blast that sent Roanoke to a minus 11 degrees and Blacksburg to 18 below.

Nor is it likely to set new daily record lows: On Jan. 16, 1972, the mercury plunged to minus 4 in Roanoke and minus 10 in Blacksburg. And on Jan. 17, 1977, temperatures fell to minus 4 in Roanoke and minus 12 in Blacksburg.

Still, this raw spell is notable and not to be trifled with.

There's plenty of danger from severe cold even when there's no snow, said Damon Kuehl, an emergency room doctor at Carilion Clinic. Frostbite can result from prolonged exposure to temperatures as mild as 35 degrees Fahrenheit "even on a sunny day," Kuehl said. Thermometers in many parts of Western Virginia are expected to remain below that level through the weekend.

Near-capacity throngs of about 350 people have been crowding into the Rescue Mission's Southeast Roanoke shelter this week, about double its bed capacity. Even the exercise mats that have been pressed into service for camping out on the floor are in short supply, Clark said.

Tonight and Saturday could bring more refugees from winter's relentless bite.

"We have new people coming in every day," Clark said. "We never turn anyone away when it's cold."

Meanwhile, regular customers of furnace repairman Jim Stark are discovering that their scheduled checkups are being postponed amid a rash of callers who don't have heat.

"Some of us have been working until after 10 at night to get the heat on for folks whose furnaces aren't working, especially older people," said Stark, a manager at American Heating and Air Conditioning in Roanoke.

The economic downturn has produced a double whammy for homeowners: Not only have some of them delayed maintenance on their furnaces, resulting in breakdowns, but now that help is needed quickly, companies such as Stark's are hampered because there are fewer workers due to layoffs.

Some residents took a more proactive approach in search of warmth.