New Yorkers were urged Thursday by state emergency officials to prepare for dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills beginning Friday and continuing through Saturday. Most regions across the state are expected to see temperatures as low as -15 degrees and wind chills as low as -25 to -50 degrees for a period lasting almost 48 hours. These extreme cold weather conditions bring an increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite, and fire and carbon monoxide poisoning from alternative heating sources, such as portable space heaters and fuel-burning appliances.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), an arctic airmass is expected to move across the State through Saturday, potentially bringing the coldest wind chills in almost 30 years to locations. NWS predicts a nearly 48-hour period where wind chill temperatures will be below -15 degrees beginning late Friday night and continuing through Saturday. The coldest conditions are expected Friday night and early Saturday morning with wind chill temperatures dropping to as low as -50 degrees in some locations.
For a complete list of weather watches, warnings, and advisories across New York, visit the National Weather Service wewebsit
Frostbite
- To avoid frostbite, stay inside during severe cold.
- If you must go out, try to cover every part of your body: ears, nose, toes and fingers, etc. Mittens are better than gloves. Keep your skin dry and stay out of the wind when possible.
- Drink plenty of fluids since hydration increases the blood’s volume, which helps prevent frostbite. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes – caffeine constricts blood vessels and prevents warming of extremities, alcohol reduces shivering, which helps keep you warm, and cigarette use shuts off blood flow to your hands.
- If you suspect frostbite, until you can get indoors, don’t rub or massage cold body parts. Drink warm liquids, put on extra layers of clothes and blankets, and remove rings, watches, and anything tight.
- Once indoors, don’t walk on a frostbitten foot – you could cause more damage. Get in a warm (NOT hot) bath and wrap face and ears in a moist, warm (NOT hot) towel.
- Don’t get near a hot stove or heater or use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or a hair dryer. You may burn yourself before feeling returns.
- Frostbitten skin will become red and swollen and feel like it’s on fire. You may develop blisters. Don’t break the blisters. It could cause scarring.
- If your skin turns blue or gray, is very swollen, blistered or feels hard and numb even under the surface, go to a hospital immediately.
