Wind Chill Advisory In Effect As Temperatures Dip Dangerously Low
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It's supposed to get really cold sometimes. It's winter in Pittsburgh. But knowing that doesn't make it any more pleasant.
According to the National Weather Service, a Wind Chill Advisory went into effect for much of the area at 6 p.m. Thursday and runs through noon on Friday.
"We're likely going to see wind chill readings that are dropping five to 10 degrees below zero at times tonight and into [Friday] morning," said KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla. "We'll see some sunshine [Friday], and then another round of some snow showers on Saturday."
Watch Jeff Verszyla's Latest Forecast:
And with this kind of cold, doctors say everyone needs to be careful.
"Very dangerous. You shouldn't be out even for a couple minutes without having everything covered," said Dr. Bruce MacLeod about the conditions expected Friday morning.
He's the chair of emergency medicine at West Penn Hospital. And he says uncovered skin in the kind of weather expected can lead to damage in a short amount of time.
"First, it'll be very painful and then it gets numb, and if it gets numb, that's really serious," he says.
Meanwhile, there was already a list of school delays Thursday night.
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Linda Lane says she's concerned about kids being out and also about buses starting Friday morning.
"Certainly, when wind chills get to double digits, I tell parents I start paying attention," said Lane.
At the REI store on the South Side, they have some lesser-known ideas about dressing for the cold.
Jamie McNeilly recommends gloves and with big mittens overtop, so your skin is never exposed even when you're using your phone.
"You don't have to take your gloves off to use your phone. You pull off your big glove, and you've got your liner glove underneath," said McNeilly.
When it comes to socks, she says wool is better than cotton.
"Wool is a material that will move moisture away from your skin," said McNeilly.
She also says more expensive long underwear is better than just cotton.
"I'd cover everything you can cover, especially your ears, nose your feet," says Dr. Thomas Campbell, the chief of emergency medicine at Allegheny General Hospital.
KDKA's John Shumway Reports:
Dr. Campbell says it doesn't take long in double digit wind chills to literally freeze your skin.
"The skin and the cells themselves, they have water in them and can freeze," said Dr. Campbell.
The National Weather Service is forecasting wind chills of 10 to 20 below zero for Friday morning.
The high on Friday will be around 17 degrees.
"Overall, wind speeds tonight at or below 10 miles an hour and they should continue to diminish through the day [Friday] in a range of about five to seven miles an hour. So, wind chill not as much of an issue through the day [Friday] despite the cold air itself," Verszyla.
There will be a slight warmup on Saturday to 27 degrees, but the low will be 1 degree. Additionally, KDKA-TV Meteorologist Dennis Bowman believes a total of one to three inches of snow is also possible Saturday.
Sunday dips back into the single digits with a high of 8 degrees and a low of minus-3.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on the weather conditions.
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