Cold weather will be here for awhile

TRI-COUNTY AREA—According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), the temperature in the region will remain below freezing for at least the next week. As of Monday, Jan. 27, both Yates and Steuben Counties are under wind chill warnings, while Schuyler County is under a wind chill advisory. Hydrometeorologist Mitch Gilt said the cold trend is expected to continue, with daytime temperatures not expected to surpass the freezing mark.
“That’s kind of been the trend we have had anyway,” Gilt said. “No real change in the overall pattern we have had for the past couple of weeks. A few areas did get a little bit above freezing but that is going to go right back down. We are still in for a cold trend for the next week or so.”
Gilt said the area will experience a slight warming of temperatures during a two- to three-day period, but those temperatures are still not expected to exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We are definitely looking for some cold wind chills,” Gilt said. “The temperature is not really getting much above the freezing mark in the next week. The next couple of days look to be the coldest with overnight lows down around one below again tonight (Monday, Jan. 27). Wind chill is down to 20 below. We will start to see a bit of a high pressure movement over the middle part of the week, Wednesday and Thursday into Friday, with daytime highs warming slightly. By Thursday we will be up into the mid 20s and our lows down into the teens. For daytime highs going into next Sunday we are not looking for it to go above freezing.”
Gilt said with the added threat of wind chills in the region, it can make the temperatures feel colder than they are, dropping the nighttime lows to as low as 20 below. He said those who have to go outside should not have any exposed skin and take frequent breaks to warm up if working. The NOAA advises people to keep a winter survival kit inside a vehicle and to minimize travel, while also bringing pets inside and learning to shut off water valves for potential pipe bursts.
“With the extremely cold wind chills, you don’t want to expose your skin,” Gilt said. “You want to minimize the amount of time you are outside if you can. If you do have to work outside, keep skin covered, take frequent breaks, go inside and warm up. Expect if you expose your skin outside, you need to cover it up very quickly with the wind chill.”