SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Brutal winter weather that’s brought subzero temperatures to parts of the U.S. is threatening to dump snow and ice across parts of the South that rarely see flurries, much less accumulation.
See safety tips for extreme cold weather
A Wind Chill Advisory was in effect through noon Wednesday in central Ohio. The National Weather Service says wind chills ranging from 10 below zero to 20 below zero will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin.
WBNS 10-TV meteorologist Jeff Booth says the high temperature would reach 20 Wednesday afternoon but overnight lows would drop to near 5 above zero with and subzero wind chills which would persist for much of Thursday.
Early-morning temperatures in central Ohio were as low as minus-11 in Lancaster and wind chills of 16-below-zero were recorded on the South Side of Columbus.
The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories and freeze warnings Tuesday covering a vast area from South Texas to Canada and from Montana through New England.
Dangerously cold temperatures have been blamed for at least a dozen deaths as well as freezing a water tower in Iowa and halting ferry service in New York.
Indianapolis early Tuesday tied a record low of minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-24 Celsius) for Jan. 2 set in 1887, leading Indianapolis Public Schools to cancel classes.
A wintry mix of snow and freezing rain was expected Wednesday mainly along the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to North Carolina. It warned that icy roads and low visibility could make driving treacherous across the region.