LOTP # 305

mrav8tr · January 6, 2014

Watching the SF/GB game. Did he just say it's 2 degrees, but wind chill feels like 13 below? Oh Man!

WearTheFoxHat · January 6, 2014

Just heard thousands of flights through OHare cancelled .

shiny new storm coming through.

mrav8tr · January 6, 2014

Must be all this global warming stuff.

coast2coasttinting · January 6, 2014

It's been a hard fought game for sure.

MikeMN · January 6, 2014

... Wind Chill Warning in Southern Minnesota

Active for next 1 day, 17 hoursLocations: Anoka; Benton; Carver; Chisago.Anoka; Benton; Carver; Chisago; Dakota; Goodhue; Hennepin; Isanti; Kanabec; Le Sueur; McLeod; Meeker; Mille Lacs; Morrison; Ramsey; Rice; Scott; Sherburne; Stearns; Todd; Washington; Wright

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Posted 8 hours ago – National Weather Service

How likely:
How soon:
How severe

Historic and Life-threatening cold air has arrived.

This is a particularly dangerous situation.

A Wind Chill Warning remains in effect for central and southern Minnesota and West Central Wisconsin through noon Tuesday.

The Coldest airmass since 1996 is moving into the region and will be with us into Tuesday. Wind Chill values today will range from 30 below to 45 below zero. Temperatures tonight will bottom out in the 20s and 30s below zero with only a small recovery on Monday. The Arctic cold tonight and Monday will be accompanied by brisk northwest winds. The combination of the cold and wind will produce wind chills of 50 below to 65 degrees below.

This is a life threatening situation if you become stranded. Wind chills colder than 50 below can cause exposed flesh to freeze in only 5 minutes. Cover as much flesh as possible when venturing out over the next few days.

The gusty winds will also bring areas of blowing snow to much of the area this afternoon and tonight. Wind gusts may reach 35 to 45 mph over western and southern Minnesota. As a result, visibilities may be reduced at times to less than a half mile, with near blizzard conditions. This will bring an additional level of danger to anyone stranded.

Wind Chill Warning remains in effect until noon CST Tuesday.

A Wind Chill Warning remains in effect until noon CST Tuesday.

This is a particularly dangerous situation.
Wind Chill values: 35 to 65 below, with the coldest readings tonight and Monday morning.
Impacts: exposed flesh will freeze in 10 minutes with wind chills of 35 below, and in 5 minutes with wind chills of 50 below or colder.
Other impacts: areas of blowing snow are possible as winds gust as high as 35 mph this afternoon and tonight.

This alert message was written in all uppercase. Change to sentence case.

...HISTORIC AND LIFE-THREATENING COLD AIR HAS ARRIVED...

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

.A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN

MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH NOON TUESDAY.

THE COLDEST AIRMASS SINCE 1996 IS MOVING INTO THE REGION AND WILL

BE WITH US INTO TUESDAY. WIND CHILL VALUES TODAY WILL RANGE FROM

30 BELOW TO 45 BELOW ZERO. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BOTTOM OUT IN

THE 20S AND 30S BELOW ZERO WITH ONLY A SMALL RECOVERY ON MONDAY.

THE ARCTIC COLD TONIGHT AND MONDAY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRISK

NORTHWEST WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF THE COLD AND WIND WILL PRODUCE

WIND CHILLS OF 50 BELOW TO 65 DEGREES BELOW.

THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION IF YOU BECOME STRANDED. WIND

CHILLS COLDER THAN 50 BELOW CAN CAUSE EXPOSED FLESH TO FREEZE IN

ONLY 5 MINUTES. COVER AS MUCH FLESH AS POSSIBLE WHEN VENTURING OUT

OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

THE GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BRING AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW TO MUCH OF

THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS MAY REACH 35 TO 45

MPH OVER WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. AS A RESULT...VISIBILITIES

MAY BE REDUCED AT TIMES TO LESS THAN A HALF MILE...WITH NEAR

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. THIS WILL BRING AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF DANGER

TO ANYONE STRANDED.

...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY...

A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY.

* THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

* WIND CHILL VALUES: 35 TO 65 BELOW...WITH THE COLDEST READINGS

TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS: EXPOSED FLESH WILL FREEZE IN 10 MINUTES WITH WIND

CHILLS OF 35 BELOW...AND IN 5 MINUTES WITH WIND CHILLS OF 50

BELOW OR COLDER.

* OTHER IMPACTS...AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE AS WINDS

GUST AS HIGH AS 35 MPH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

Recommended actions

A Wind Chill Warning means the combination of very cold air and strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND

STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS

WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF

PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

Excerpted from ready.govBefore:

Before winter approaches, add the following supplies to your emergency kit:
- Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency for a complete list of recommended products.
- Sand to improve traction.
- Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
- Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
- Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
More about:
What to do before winter storms and extreme cold.

Excerpted from ready.gov During:

Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack - a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.
Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
Conserve fuel, if necessary, by keeping your residence cooler than normal. Temporarily close off heat to some rooms.
More about:
What to do during winter storms and extreme cold.

What is a Wind Chill Warning?

Wind chill temperatures reaching or exceeding locally defined warning criteria (typical value is -18°F or colder) Source: nws.noaa.gov