Extremely cold air comes every winter to at least part of the United States and affects millions of people. Arctic air and brisk winds can lead to dangerously cold wind chill values, resulting in frostbite and hypothermia. About 63% of weather-related deaths in the U.S. result from exposure to excessive cold and/or hypothermia. Extreme cold can also lead to significant damage to buildings and infrastructure, resulting in $500-million in average annual insured losses. This lesson describes the potential impacts of cold wind chill values and extremely cold temperatures, and explores ways forecasters can communicate the impacts of these weather events along with mitigation strategies.
Have an account?
Sign In to write a review.
After completing this lesson, you should be able complete the following tasks:
- Describe weather events that potentially lead to wind chill and extreme cold advisories and warnings.
- Recall the thresholds for wind chill and extreme cold advisories and warnings.
- Describe how wind chill and extreme cold can impact the general public.
- List key local partner agencies and public jurisdictions that may be impacted by wind chill and extreme cold.
- Describe how wind chill and extreme cold can impact both routine and emergency operations of local partner agencies and decision-making by these agencies.
- Describe strategies that mitigate wind chill and extreme cold hazards.
- List and describe the communication channels that would be effective in distributing information about wind chill and extreme cold hazards and associated mitigation strategies.
- Formulate clear, logical, cohesive forecast messages for wind chill and extreme cold events that describe the potential impact on the community and possible mitigation strategies.
cold, wind chill, hypothermia, frostbite, winter weather statement, WSW, call to action, Hazardous Weather Outlook, HWO, Special Weather Statement, SPS
