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Governor's Winter Safety Week Resolution
2014-2015 Ohio Winter Summary
Winter Weather Terms
Preparedness for Schools
Ice & Snow, Take It Slow
Winter Safety Tips For The Home
Winter Safety Tips For For The Vehicle
Winter Safety Tips For Fire Safety
Winter Health & Safety Tips
Snow Emergency Classifications
Wind Chill Index
Flood Information and Safety Tips
Flood Insurance Information
Carbon Monoxide Information & Safety
Portable Generator Info
Severe Winter Storm Resource List
The National Weather Service Wind Chill Temperature index is designed to accurately calculate how cold air feels on human skin. This index is based on heat loss from exposed skin.
The Wind Chill Chart (see below) includes a frostbite indicator that shows the points where temperature, wind speed and exposure time will produce frostbite on people. The chart includes three shaded areas of frostbite danger. Each shaded area shows how long (30, 10 and 5 minutes) a person can be exposed before frostbite develops.
For example, a temperature of 0 degrees F and a wind speed of 15 mph will produce a wind chill temperature of -19 degrees F. Under these conditions, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.
Click on http://www.weather.gov/os/windchill/images/windchillchart3.pdf for a clearer chart.
The wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperatures and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder.
Frostbite is an injury to the body when your body tissue freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are the extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the top of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Medical attention is needed immediately for frostbite. The area should be slowly re-warmed.
Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature (below 95 degrees F). Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. Medical attention is needed immediately. If it is not available, begin warming the body slowly.