Brace yourself for winter, below-zero wind chills

Old Man Winter will finally make an appearance this season.

Carbon County will face its longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures since 1978, starting tonight.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for tonight, starting at 9 p.m. through noon on Thursday.

Expected wind chills ranging from 10 to 15 below zero will add to the arctic feeling temperatures.

According to senior meteorologist Paul Walker of AccuWeather in State College, the cold spell will last until Jan. 6.

“We won’t see temps above freezing until the middle of next week. This will be 12 to 13 days,” he said.

Walker said we won’t break the record. That is 18 days below freezing in February 1978.

In addition to the arctic blast, the area will be dusted with snow Friday night into Saturday morning.

“We can get snow at very cold temps. They will be smaller flakes. Sometimes ice crystals will also fall out of the sky,” he said.

“Behind the snow we will see another surge of very cold air where temps won’t get out of the teens. Temps should be in the 20s the middle of next week.”

Cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin, the National Weather Service warns.

The best advice for such extreme cold is to layer up.

Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm and limit the time of exposed skin to the freezing air, Walker said.

Mittens vs. gloves

“Mittens are warmer than gloves according to experts, because your fingers transfer heat when next to each other. Base layers made of wool, silk or polypropylene hold more body heat than cotton,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wearing several layers of loose fitting clothing can allow the wearer to regulate internal temperature, but be sure to take off a few layers when you feel you’re getting too hot and sweaty. Excess perspiration can lead to increased heat loss.

Be safe

Dave Sputnik, regional director of communications for the American Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania, said, “The things I would stress right now are safety related, like keeping space heaters away from anything flammable and making sure they are plugged directly into wall outlets and never into power strips or extension cords that can overheat,” he said.

Place space heaters on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least 3 feet away. Don’t put space heaters near paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Make sure to turn them off before leaving the room or going to bed.

Fill up

Remember to keep your gas tank close to full during the cold months.

“In the winter, if you do get stuck or stranded, the engine will be your only source of heat. And you don’t want to have to worry about conserving fuel and saving the planet right at that moment. No harm will be done to the engine,” according to the CarTalk website.

Pay attention to pipes

According to the Red Cross, run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent pipes from freezing.

“Also with this cold weather expected to last so long, frozen pipes could become a problem. Keep the cold water running at a drip if this is a problem in your home. Open cabinet doors under sinks that are against outside walls to allow the heat from your home to circulate around the pipes there. And if pipes do freeze, never use an open flame to thaw them. It can easily start a fire,” Sputnik said.

Sputnik recommended keeping the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

Evaluate your doors and windows for heat loss. Weather stripping for a door or an additional window insulator kit will prevent drafts into your home.

Care for pets

Don’t forget to protect those pets during the cold temperatures.

The best way to keep four-legged family members safe is to bring them inside.

If the animal is too large to bring indoors, make sure it has enough shelter to keep them warm and that it can get to unfrozen water.

Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas and make sure they have access to fresh, non-frozen drinking water.

Make sure they are protected by a dry, draft-free enclosure large enough to allow them to sit and lie down, but small enough to hold in the animal’s body heat.