Too cold, even for #penguins?

A senior biologist watches as a young African black-footed penguin meanders around a small playpen at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden. (ED HILLE / staff file photo)

Emily Babay, Philly.com

Posted: Friday, February 6, 2015

It's so cold even penguins are heading inside.

At the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, officials are advising visitors that the penguins will be "off exhibit" Friday "due to today's extreme cold."

The temperature at Philadelphia International Airport has hovered in the mid-teens overnight and early this morning, with wind chills in the single digits.

The high today is expected to reach just 29 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Winds of 8 to 16 mph are expected throughout the day.

And that's just too cold for the aquarium's African black-footed penguins. Visitors will have to go indoors to see them indoors.

The aquarium's website says the birds are one of 17 penguin species worldwide - and aren't a species accustomed to the cold. "They prefer more moderate climates," the aquarium says.

So, they're in luck for the weekend: The weather service is calling for a high temperature of 42 degrees Saturday and 47 degrees Sunday.

Saturday should be mostly sunny, and there's a slight chance of rain on Sunday, forecasters say. Rain and snow are likely to return Monday.

source