By now, you've probably been inundated with the news about the soon-to-arrive winter storm. Freezing rain, snow, sleet, high winds and bitter temperatures are going to make the ride home from work a nightmare.
The biggest part of the story, thus far, is that temperatures are expected to drop to about 5 below zero, with wind chill factors between 20 and 30 below zero. OK, so what does that mean?
I e-mailed my friend Chris McGinness, morning meteorologist at WDJT-TV, to get the scoop.
"The big thing to understand is that wind removes heat from the body. The stronger the wind and lower the temperature, the greater the rate of heat loss. In 2001 when the NWS re-calculated their wind chill chart, they introduced a very valuable description to their wind chill advisories. After careful study on real live human beings subjected to various winds and temperatures, they were able to calculate the average time till frostbite under a specific set of conditions. You'll often hear in the weather report that "exposed skin can suffer frostbite in as little as XX minutes."
McGinness says that the newer method of calculating wind chill, is something that's more tangible and easier to understand.
The National Weather Service has a chart which provides a basic formula, and a time estimate on how long frostbite can develop on exposed skin. The best advice, as always, is to stay inside. But if you have to go out tonight, make sure you're bundled up.
