Tips to survive the latest arctic blast
The average winter temperature at two of the coldest points of the globe — Antarctica and the Arctic — is minus 30 degrees. Chicagoans got a taste of what weather is like at those two opposite poles of the Earth when wind chills reached that frigid mark Wednesday morning.
After 2014 brought us the warmest global temperatures on record, an Arctic cold front ushered in the new year. More than half the nation — including Florida — fell under wind chill warnings and cold weather watches and advisories this week as life-threatening arctic air dipped from the Midwest and Eastern USA down to the South.
Meteorologists can usually predict extremes in cold air masses and jet-stream movement far enough in advance for you to prepare for a cold wave. You just need to mind the warnings.
Acclimatization is a big factor in human health, and feeling warm vs. feeling cold is relative. If you live in sunny Florida, 30 degrees is going to feel a lot colder than if you live in snowy New England. The human body adjusts and adapts to temperature changes, but that can take time — which is why a cold snap can be so dangerous.
New Jersey's Essex County went so far as to activate new emergency weather procedures, announcing its first "Code Blue" alert before cold temperatures gripped the area this week. The Code Blue designation means warming shelters and stations will be open to the public when the temperature drops (or is expected to drop) below 15º F for at least two straight days, or when the wind chill falls below zero.
Once you know it's going to be cold, there are several steps you can take:
•Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees to conserve fuel. This is important if cold weather lasts longer than expected.
•Use caution with home space heaters. Anything flammable, including furniture, drapes and curtains, should be kept at least several feet away.
•If you use kerosene heaters, make sure to properly ventilate by slightly opening a nearby window. If you must fuel or refuel the heater, do it outside.
•Carbon monoxide poisoning is a big threat. Make sure you have installed carbon monoxide alarms throughout your home.
•If your water pipes have frozen, remove any insulation they may be wrapped in. Then rewrap the pipes in rags and douse them with hot water. It's best to begin pouring the water on pipes most exposed to the cold. Once you have warmed your pipes, turn on all the water faucets inside to establish flow.
•Even when you are indoors, look for signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Beginning signs of frostbite include skin numbness and discoloration. Hypothermia could be setting in if you experience extreme fatigue, shivering and/or loss of consciousness.
•Keep your garage doors closed. These can act as a form of insulation, especially if they are attached to your house.
•Don't be a couch potato just because you are stuck inside. By engaging in moderate physical activity, you'll stay warmer. Walk around the house, climb stairs or exercise indoors.
•Drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages and eat well-balanced meals to keep your body temperature up. High-protein-based meals can increase your metabolic rate.
It may not be possible to avoid the cold, but you can fight it.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of TheClimateSurvivalist.com and a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book "Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or e-mail kostigen@theclimatesurvivalist.com
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