Polar vortex to bring frigid temperatures to Centre County. Here’s how cold it could get
Arctic air is going to plunge into the Midwest this week, bringing with it life-threatening cold.
Centre County won’t be hit quite as bad as places such as Chicago, which the National Weather Service is predicting could see wind chills as low as -42 degrees, but the wind chill could still get down to -25 to -30 degrees from Wednesday through Friday morning.
The frigid air is expected to move into the State College area following about 3-4 inches of snow that the NWS is expecting to start Tuesday morning and linger through Wednesday.
“It’s going to usher in much colder weather,” NWS State College meteorologist John Banghoff said of the snow. “We’re expecting the coldest temperatures so far this season to settle in Wednesday morning through Friday morning with pretty strong winds as well.”
Highs on Wednesday are expected to be in the single digits, and dip down to 0 on Wednesday evening, according to NWS data. The worst of the cold is expected Thursday morning, when temperatures of -10 are forecast. By Friday morning, temperatures could be one or two degrees below zero.
But it’s the wind chill that will make the cold feel even worse.
Wind chills of -10 to -15 degrees are expected Wednesday morning, -20 to -25 on Thursday, and -5 to -15 Friday morning, according to the NWS.
“Wind chills are going to be just miserable,” Banghoff said.
With temperatures running about 25 to 30 degrees lower than usual for this time of year, and especially with the wind chill, Banghoff said it can become very easy to get frostbite. Just 15 to 30 minutes of expose is all it takes, he said.
Centre County schools have yet to cancel school or issues delays, but State College Area School District posted on social media Monday that the district typically considers a two- to three-hour delay if the actual temperature is below -5 or a wind chill below -20.
In addition to wanting to keep kids safe from frostbite while standing at the bus stop or walking to school, the decision to delay school in cases of extreme cold is also made due to the fact that those temperatures are too low for the amounts of fuel additive allowed by state to mix with school bus diesel fuel to prevent it from congealing.
Penn State Police and Public Safety also took time on Monday to warn people about the upcoming cold by posting graphics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on social media with tips on how they should dress if they have to be outside, walking from class to class.
NOAA suggests a warm hat, face mask, gloves, waterproof boots, two layers of pants, three layers of upper-boy covering, plus an outer layer to keep out wind.
Symptoms of frostbite, according to the Mayo Clinic, include cold skin and a prickling feeling, numbness, red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin, hard or waxy-looking skin, clumsiness due to muscle stiffness, and blistering after rewarming.
Anyone who starts to feel symptoms of frostbite should head indoors immediately and gradually start to bring warmth back to the body, the American Academy of Dermatology said. Use warm water or a washcloth, never rub frostbitten skin or submerge hands or feet in hot water.
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 3:53 PM.