PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
600 AM MDT THU OCT 22 2009
...WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...EXTREME WIND CHILL...POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED...
THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES IN WINTER CAN BE DEADLY. THE WIND
CHILL INDEX HELPS YOU DETERMINE WHEN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS DEVELOP THAT COULD LEAD TO
FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA. IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT HEAT LOSS FROM THE HUMAN BODY TO
ITS SURROUNDINGS DURING COLD AND WINDY WEATHER. THE CALCULATION UTILIZES WIND SPEED
IN MILES PER HOUR AND TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. FOR EXAMPLE...A
TEMPERATURE OF MINUS 5 DEGREES OCCURRING WITH A 20 MPH WIND GIVES A WIND CHILL NEAR
MINUS 30 DEGREES. THIS MEANS THAT YOUR BODY WILL LOSE HEAT AT THE SAME RATE AS IT
WOULD IF THE AIR TEMPERATURE WERE MINUS 30 DEGREES WITH NO WIND. WIND CHILL VALUES
NEAR MINUS 25 DEGREES MEAN THAT FROSTBITE CAN OCCUR IN AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES.
FROSTBITE FIRST AFFECTS EXPOSED BODY TISSUE WHERE BLOOD CIRCULATION MAY BE
LIMITED SUCH AS YOUR FINGERS...TOES...NOSE AND EARS. TO MINIMIZE FROSTBITE...MAKE
SURE ALL BODY PARTS ARE WELL COVERED. WHEN FROSTBITE STARTS...FEELING IS LOST IN
THE AFFECTED AREA AND THE FROZEN TISSUE WILL TAKE ON A WHITE OR PALE APPEARANCE. IF
YOU SUSPECT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING FROSTBITE...HOLD THE FROSTBITTEN AREA CLOSELY
AGAINST WARM SKIN TO RETURN BLOOD FLOW AND WARMTH TO THE AFFECTED AREA.
HYPOTHERMIA IS A DANGEROUSLY LOW BODY TEMPERATURE AND IS THE MOST COMMON
WEATHER KILLER IN WINTER. WHEN YOU HEAR OF A HIKER...CLIMBER...HUNTER OR A STRANDED
TRAVELER PERISHING FROM COLD WEATHER EXPOSURE...HYPOTHERMIA WAS THE CAUSE. MOST
PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT HYPOTHERMIA DEATHS CAN OCCUR WITH TEMPERATURES
BETWEEN 30 AND 50 DEGREES. IF YOU OR YOUR CLOTHING ARE WET...THEN HYPOTHERMIA
BECOMES EVEN MORE LIKELY.
WARNING SIGNS OF HYPOTHERMIA INCLUDE UNCONTROLLABLE SHIVERING...MEMORY
LOSS...DISORIENTATION...SLURRED SPEECH AND DROWSINESS. IMMEDIATE MEDICAL
ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO VICTIMS SUSPECTED OF SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHERMIA. IF NO
HELP IS AVAILABLE...THE VICTIM SHOULD BE WARMED SLOWLY WITH WARM LIQUIDS ALONG WITH
DRY CLOTHING AND BLANKETS.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE WIND CHILL ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS WHEN A
DEADLY COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD AIR THREATEN COLORADO. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WIND
CHILL...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INTERNET SITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/OM/WINDCHILL. USE LOWER CASE LETTERS WHEN ENTERING THIS ADDRESS.
WHEN COLD WEATHER THREATENS COLORADO...FOLLOW THESE TIPS FOR SURVIVAL...
STAY DRY...WET CLOTHING RESULTS IN MUCH FASTER HEAT LOSS FROM YOUR BODY. WEAR
WATERPROOF INSULATED BOOTS.
STAY COVERED...WEAR MITTENS OR GLOVES AND WEAR A HAT. AT LEAST HALF OF YOUR BODY
HEAT IS LOST IF YOUR HEAD IS NOT COVERED.
DRESS LAYERED...TRAPPED AIR BETWEEN LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING HELPS TO INSULATE.
STAY INFORMED...HAVE A PORTABLE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS TO KEEP YOU UP-TO-
DATE WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND WARNINGS. USE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES TO GUIDE
YOU IN DRESSING PROPERLY FOR THE OUTDOORS. ON VERY COLD DAYS...MINIMIZE YOUR
EXPOSURE TO THE OUTDOORS IF POSSIBLE.
COURTESY OF THE GOODLAND KANSAS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE
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