Dangerously low wind chills Thursday night into Friday in eastern Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — Brutally cold conditions combined with strong winds will result in dangerous conditions Thursday night into Friday across eastern Iowa. This kind of cold can cause harm in minutes if you’re not properly dressed.

A cold front will move in Thursday afternoon, winds will pick up and wind chills – what it feels like to your skin – will be below zero by 5-6 p.m.

The front will also send temperatures down fast — we’ll end up below zero around 10-11 p.m. Lows will end up in the teens below zero with wind chills of -35 to -45 expected for several hours into Friday morning.

Extreme Cold Warnings will go into effect as these wind chills are dangerous and can lead to frostbite within 5 or 10 minutes!

Signs of frostbite are as follows, per Mayo Clinic:

• Numbness.
• Tingling.
• Patches of skin in shades of red, white, blue, gray, purple or brown. The color of affected skin depends on how serious the frostbite is and the usual skin color.
• Cold, hard, waxy-looking skin.
• Clumsiness due to joint stiffness.
• Pain.
• Blistering after rewarming.

Hypothermia can also occur if you’re not dressed for these conditions outside. It’s important to dress in layers and cover up as much of your body as possible (hats, gloves, scarves, etc.). Limit your time outside as much as possible and avoid overexerting yourself. Sweating can lead to clothes getting wet and your body will lose heat faster.

Wind chills will likely remain between -15 to -30 degrees through Friday afternoon. Schools and events may be delayed or canceled as a result of the cold. You can see the latest list of those announcements at this link.