Winter storm impacts last into the work week as temperatures drop
Wintry Morning Conditions
Monday morning, many roadways are still covered in snow and ice. Even where plows have moved through, slick conditions and black ice persist. Road temperatures will stay below freezing, so melting won’t occur anytime soon.
Before leaving, you’ll need to clear off any ice or snow that accumulated on your car, not leaving any on the roof. This could fly off and cause dangerous conditions for others as you drive, so it’s important to fully clear your car before driving. Also, you may need to shovel out the end of your driveway or your parking spot, as plows leave snow piles behind while clearing the roads. Your car could get stuck if you don’t properly remove this snow first.
Expect travel delays, as you will need to take it slow and leave plenty of room between you and the car ahead. Don’t be too cocky, but don’t panic. If you absolutely have to go out this morning, slow and steady is the way to go. Do not slam on the brakes if your car starts to slide; instead, let off the gas and gently steer your car in the right direction.
Dangerous Wind Chills
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for Monday until 7 pm. This is due to wind-chill values as low as -5 degrees throughout the day. Once this expires at 7 pm, it is replaced by a Dangerous Cold Warning. Temperatures and wind-chill values quickly drop this evening into the double digits below zero. By Tuesday morning, some of us may feel as cold as -15 to -20 degrees.
It is very important that as you head outside, limit your time outdoors and keep your skin covered using warm layers. Know the symptoms for frostbite and hypothermia, as both can set in quickly under these conditions.
For frostbite, look out for the first warning signs: redness and pain in affected areas. Affected skin will then turn grey/yellow. Skin will turn firm and can sometimes feel waxy, and it will become numb. For hypothermia, watch for the basic symptoms: shivering, confusion, drowsiness, stiff muscles, and trouble speaking. In infants, hypothermia can show up as reddened skin that’s cold to the touch, low energy, and numbness. If you or someone around you experiences any of these symptoms, it is important to get help.
A Few Snow Showers Ahead, Nothing Major
As we go through the rest of the week, we’ll see a few chances for some flurries or maybe even a few snow showers. Anytime we have heavy cloud cover moving through, flurries will be possible.
Even with this possibility, we will not see any major impacts besides what the weekend already brought us.
The best chance for some snow showers, which may be able to put down some accumulations, will be late on Wednesday, and then possibly towards the end of the week.
