by meteorologist Jeb Postle
With the first Arctic cold air outbreak expected to impact the region beginning tomorrow and lasting into the day Thursday, this will lead to a deep chill and dangerous wind chills. The following are some facts and ways to stay warm and prepare for the frigid temperatures. But first, the latest forecast for the area is as follows:
Alerts: The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory from 5 P.M. Today till 10 A.M. Thursday.
Today: Partly cloudy skies with a chance of snow flurries and isolated snow showers in the afternoon. 20 percent chance of snow. Little to no snowfall expected. High temperature around 18F. Winds from the west switching to from the northwest at 10-15 mph, with higher gusts likely. Wind chills as low as -10F possible by late afternoon.
Tonight: Becoming mostly clear. Cold. Low temperature around -7F . Winds from the northwest at 10-15 mph, with higher gusts possible. Wind chill temperatures as low as -26F possible.
Thursday, January 9th: Mostly sunny. Cold. High temperature around 11F. Winds from the west-northwest switching to from the west-southwest at 10-15 mph. Wind chill values as cold as -26F possible.
With the above forecast, the following are some tips you can take for preparing for the cold weather:
House/Buildings
- Make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are working well and placed with fresh batteries. During times of cold weather and power outages, carbon monoxide poisoning is highest. This can be caused from faulty heating systems, such as fuel burning space heaters or gas powered electrical generators in confined spaces.
- Make sure your fire place is free of obstructions and clean before using.
Cars
- If possible, keep your car indoors in a garage to help ease the battery power.
- Make sure your car is fueled with gas. Near empty tanks can lead to potential freezing in your gas tank, leading to future car issues.
- Make sure you have extra blankets and supplies in the car in case you break down during the cold weather.
- Make sure to give yourself time to turn on the car and warm it up if parked outside.
People and pets
- Limit your time outside if possible. If your child is waiting for the bus, I would suggest them waiting in the car for the bus or driving them to school.
- If outside, make sure to cover all exposed skin to the cold and wind. Any long exposure can potentially lead to frost bite.
- Make sure your pets are indoors at all times
Again, its important to prepare for the upcoming cold weather. If outside and not preparedly dressed late tonight into tomorrow morning, it will take less than 30 minutes to develop frostbite (NWS Wind Chill Chart). For your reference, the following link shows you the calculated wind chill based on a combination of temperature and winds: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/windchill.shtml.
Stay warm and think spring!
Sources
1). The Unseen killer In Cold Weather and During Power Outages: How to Avoid Carbon Dioxide Poisoning, PR Web; November 2014: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/11/prweb12322861.htm
2). The Wind Chill Chart; The National Weather Service; 2014: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/windchill.shtml.
UPTON DAILY 