COLUMBUS, Ohio – A day after digging out from the first snowfall of the season, folks in central Ohio woke up to the sting of dangerously cold air and the news that it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
A National Weather Service wind chill advisory for much of the northeastern U.S. for Wednesday into Thursday warns of “dangerously cold air” with strong winds that could result in frostbite if people don’t put on their scarves, hats and gloves.
EXTRA: Cold weather safety tips
Early-morning wind chills in central Ohio ranged from zero to 8 degrees below zero even as City of Columbus crews continued to clear snow-covered streets. They had begun plowing side and residential streets early Wednesday morning, Public Service Department spokeswoman Melanie Crabill said.
AAA Ohio Auto Club has seen the number of calls for roadside assistance triple due to slick roads and cold weather-related breakdowns, spokeswoman Kim Schwind said..
High temperatures around Columbus will stay in the single digits with wind chill readings between -10 and -15, WBNS 10-TV meteorologist Josh Poland said. Temperatures will drop to around 6 below overnight and wind chill values will be between -20 and -25 through Thursday morning.
The blast of arctic air surging into Ohio was expected to put an added burden on homeless shelters and led one sheriff to open up a jail lobby as a warming center for temporary relief from the cold.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said Tuesday that the county jail’s lobby in Hamilton north of Cincinnati will stay open for temporary shelter while temperatures remain below zero. He said allowing people to “warm up” there will hopefully ease overcrowding expected at traditional shelters.
To prevent burst water pipes, the Ohio Derpartment of Public Safety recommends allowing cold water to drip or stream from the faucet served by exposed pipes or pipes along exterior walls and keeping the thermostat set to the same temperature at night. Suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures you may prevent freezing and bursting.
Columbia Gas of Ohio warned customers not to use ovens or ranges to heat their homes. Duke Energy said it’s prepared for increased demand but advised customers to check supplies of flashlights, batteries, bottled water and medicines.
The icy grip extended from the Plains to New England. Wind chills of about 15 below zero were expected in the New York metro area and 20 below farther north.
Schools in the Dakotas planned to start late or not hold classes at all on Wednesday because of expected wind chills that could drop to at least 40 below zero.
High temperatures across much of North Dakota and South Dakota are expected to stay below zero, and there’s a wind chill warning in effect for much of both states through the morning.
In Chicago, where thousands of children walk to schools outside their neighborhood, classes were canceled due to anticipated wind chills of minus 25 or colder, but the district kept school buildings open in case some still show up. Libraries and park district buildings also will be open during normal hours.
The coldest weather in about a year is expected to reach deep into Georgia where wind chills in metro Atlanta were expected to fall below 5 degrees.
The plummeting temperatures followed the weather system that brought 3 to 5 inches of snowfall to parts of Ohio Monday night into Tuesday.
The early snowfall Tuesday led to slow morning commutes and numerous traffic accidents across the state. A Highway Patrol trooper was among four people injured when a woman lost control of her car on a slick highway in Clermont County and struck a police cruiser.