Frosty New Year's Eve not discouraging event organizers

With a frostbite advisory in place for New Years Eve in Ottawa, event organizers are summoning the Canadian spirit (andlure of the bar) to encourage revellers to not stay home.

The City of Ottawas frostbite advisory remains in effect until Friday, with a forecasted high of 14 C during the day Tuesday and aforecasted low of 21 C overnight, without the wind chill.

Adding on the wind chill, Environment Canada said it felt like 27 C outside at 11:30a.m. ET in Ottawa.

• CBC Ottawaweather
• Ian Black's local weather page
• Cold weather safety information
• What's open and closed in Ottawa for New Year's Eve, Day

Ottawa Public Health says to avoid frostbite, stay indoors when possible.

Theyalso recommend layering up socks, gloves and/or mittens and sweaters, and suggest people should refrain fromdrinking alcohol which narrows blood vessels and can speed frostbite and hypothermia along.

"A lot of people think alcohol warms you up, when in fact it doesn't do that," said Ottawa Public Health nurse Frances Venne.

"The alcohol makes the blood flow close to the surface of the skin so that the heat in the blood is taken away from your core. (This means) your vital organs are not as warm as you think they would be and that can make it very dangerous."

Medical experts recommend having three to four drinks maximum, dressing in layers and keeping time outside to a minimumwhen facing very cold temperatures.

Big New Year's parties happening inside and out

Organizers of some of Ottawas biggest New Years Eve parties said Monday theyre confident people will be able to stay warm at their events.

The weather might play a factor, but all of our pubs and restaurants are open and we're encouraging people to come down, said Les Gange, head of the Sparks Street BIA, which is hoping to best last years 20,000-person turnout at their event.

If they get a little cool, they can come inside. But there's lots of people, body heat, hugging lots to keep them warm down here.

It's Canada. It's winter. It's going to be cold. Wrap up, said John Ivison, executive director of the Scottish Society of Ottawa, whose Hogmanay party happens at City Hall.

We've got an indoor bar, we've got a heated outdoor bar So there are plenty of places to go and take the chill off, have a drink, and come back out again.

If you're looking for a dry event, councillor Rick Chiarelli's annual family-friendly New Year's Eve party begins at 6 p.m. at the Centrepointe Theatre.

"It's a good thing for parents to bring their kids toand makethem realize there are other alternatives (to drinking)," Chiarelli said.

The cold temperatures will continue to start 2014, with a wind chill of 30 C forecasted for Wednesday and high temperatures not rising above the minus-teens until Saturday in Ottawa.