• Winter Weather 2020 (F)

    From Daryl Stout@HURRICAN to All on Friday, December 04, 2020 00:02:25
    Public Information Statement
    National Weather Service Little Rock AR
    600 AM CST Fri Dec 4 2020

    November 30th through December 4th is Winter Weather Awareness
    Week in Arkansas. The purpose of this week is to remind people
    what winter weather can bring, and how to deal with
    hazardous winter conditions. Now is the time to prepare
    for the upcoming winter season.

    Today's topic is the cold of winter.

    When Arkansans think of winter weather, usually a picture of
    falling snow and temperatures in the 20s and lower 30s comes to mind.
    However, winter weather can be not only dangerous, but possibly
    deadly in some cases.

    Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths
    are indirectly related to the storm itself. Traffic accidents on icy
    roads account for a vast majority of deaths. Heart attacks caused by
    people shoveling snow and hypothermia from prolonged exposure to the
    cold are also consequences of severe winter weather.

    An important factor this winter will be energy costs. Prices for
    natural gas and propane could cause some people to heat their homes inadequately in an effort to avoid large energy bills. If too little
    heat is used, hypothermia will become a greater threat than usual.

    In case of power outages, gasoline or diesel powered generators must
    not be used indoors. Carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas,
    can build up in enclosed areas such as houses and garages and result
    in death.

    FROSTBITE

    Frostbite is damage to body tissue caused by that tissue being frozen.
    It causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in
    extremities, such as fingers, toes, earlobes or the tip of the nose.
    If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. If you must
    wait for help, begin to treat the affected area by warming it slowly.

    WIND CHILL

    Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused
    by the combined effects of wind and cold. As the wind increases, heat
    is carried away from the body, driving down the body temperature.
    Remember that animals are affected by wind chill as well.

    W I N D C H I L L C H A R T --------------------------------------------------------------------
    :WIND: TEMPERATURE : --------------------------------------------------------------------
    :CALM: 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20:
    : 5 : 31 25 19 13 7 1 -5 -11 -16 -22 -28 -34:
    : 10 : 27 21 15 9 3 -4 -10 -16 -22 -28 -35 -41:
    : 15 : 25 19 13 6 0 -7 -13 -19 -26 -32 -39 -45:
    : 20 : 24 17 11 4 -2 -9 -15 -22 -29 -35 -42 -48:
    : 25 : 23 16 9 3 -4 -11 -17 -24 -31 -37 -44 -51:
    : 30 : 22 15 8 1 -5 -12 -19 -26 -33 -39 -46 -53:
    : 35 : 21 14 7 0 -7 -14 -21 -27 -34 -41 -48 -55: ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    The wind speed used in the wind chill formula is calculated for the
    average height of the human face, or about 5 feet above the ground. In contrast, wind in most weather observations in the United States is
    measured about 33 feet above the ground. The formula also uses updated
    heat transfer theory, which factors heat loss from the body to its surroundings during cold and windy conditions. In arriving at the
    formula, testing was actually done on people in a chilled wind tunnel.
    Sensors attached to the people measured heat loss from their bodies.

    At a wind chill of 18 degrees below zero, frostbite can develop on
    exposed skin within 30 minutes.

    An important thing to remember about wind chill is that it was
    designed to apply to living beings only. For example, a metal water
    pipe in air that is 35 degrees will attain a temperature of 35 degrees,
    as will the water inside. The wind may be blowing at 20 mph producing a
    wind chill of zero degrees, but the pipe and the water will remain at
    35 degrees.

    HYPOTHERMIA

    Hypothermia is just a complicated word for lower-than-normal body
    temperature. Hypothermia can be brought on in many ways including
    exposure to periods of bitterly cold weather or immersion in cold lake
    or river water. Remember that hypothermia is the actual lowering of
    body temperature. Hypothermia is the most dangerous and life-threatening result of exposure to extremely cold air.

    Some of the warning signs associated with hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. A good way to detect hypothermia is
    to take the persons temperature. If it is below 95 degrees fahrenheit,
    seek medical care immediately.

    If medical care is not available, begin warming the person slowly by
    warming the body core first with either your own body heat or warm dry
    clothes and blankets. Do not warm the extremities such as arms and legs
    first as this could push the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to
    heart failure.

    Issues such as hypothermia can be diminished by wearing the proper
    clothing when planning to be out in the cold weather for an extended time.

    Wear several layers of loose-fitting, light weight, warm clothing. If you become too warm, layers can be removed to avoid heat build-up and perspiration. Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent
    and hooded. Try to keep your mouth covered to protect your lungs, and
    keep your hands in mittens, not gloves, to protect your fingers. Overall,
    the best rule is to try to stay dry.

    Finally, be sure to check on the elderly. High heating costs could cause
    some older people to set the thermostat too low, leading to hypothermia. Remember, elderly people often have more difficulty with their sense of
    warm and cold.

    &&

    Please visit our web site at https://www.weather.gov/lzk

    $$
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