Iowa’s coldest air in more than 20 years moves into the state Tuesday night. The National Weather Service says wind chill values by Wednesday morning will range from -30 in southern Iowa to -50 in the northern part of the state. Wednesday morning will see the coldest temperatures and wind chills of this winter blast.
“The big difference, as we get into the afternoon hours on Wednesday, is the winds are going to start to diminish,” said Mike Fowle, the science and operations officer at the National Weather Service office in Johnston. “That’s going to help things out a little bit. That’s going to be somewhat of an improvement as we get toward the afternoon hours on Wednesday.”
A wind chill warning is in effect until 9 am Thursday morning in much of central and southern Iowa, and noon Thursday in the northern part of the state.
“The improvement we’re going to see on Thursday morning is the winds are going to be generally light,” Fowle said in a briefing Tuesday afternoon for media and local officials. “Probably five or maybe 10 miles per hour. Bu the air temperatures are still going to be cold. We’re still talking below zero.”
Temperatures throughout much of Iowa will remain below zero until early Thursday afternoon.
Primary health dangers associated with extreme cold weather are hypothermia and frostbite. Shivering is a way for the body to try to warm itself up, but it can be a first step toward hypothermia if you don’t find a way to stay warm.
“You’re going to see situations where you start having challenges with dexterity, slurring of speech, cognitive function declines, as you get more and more hypothermic,” said Kevin Kregel, a University of Iowa human physiology professor, on IPR's River to River Tuesday.
He says exposed skin can become frostbitten in a relatively short time in extreme cold. People who suspect they’re developing frostbite or hypothermia should seek medical attention.
