How to deal with the extreme cold

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's Ali Reid reports from Burlington County, New Jersey, where temperatures dipped to as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit. She offers helpful advice on how to handle frigid conditions.

Transcript

00:00Begin this morning with Allie Reed who joins us from Southern New Jersey where

00:04they're celebrating for multiple reasons. Kids, most likely the answer is they're

00:08celebrating because of the snow.

00:14Right ladies, and I figured the perfect place to do so would be one of the most

00:18popular sledding hills here in South Jersey. We've got a few sledders out here

00:21this morning, not a ton right now, but some snowboarders, some that grabbed the

00:26sleds this morning, but certainly a lot of them are very bundled up. It is a

00:30crisp 18 degrees outside this morning, and that is mainly because, well a

00:36couple of things. We know that people all across the Northeast are waking up this

00:39morning feeling these bitter cold temperatures, but also we got some snow

00:43last night here in South Jersey, one to two inches, and for South Jersey standards

00:48that is a good amount of snowfall here, right? But as we continue into the day

00:53today, it is going to be cold, and so with that in mind, there are some safety

00:56things that you should go along with it. We know that frostbite and hypothermia

01:00can come on very quickly in these scenarios. Health officials are warning

01:04that the extreme cold can potentially exacerbate chronic conditions such as

01:08asthma, arthritis, and heart disease. Young children and the elderly are

01:12especially vulnerable, so dress in layers including a waterproof outer layer to

01:16retain body heat, cover exposed skin, and avoid prolonged outdoor activity.

01:21Frostbite can set in on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes when

01:24temperatures drop this low, so experts recommend wearing insulated gloves, hats,

01:29face coverings, and thermal layers to minimize exposure. Now for those staying

01:33indoors, heating safety is also critical right now. Officials are urging residents

01:38to use space heaters carefully, keep them at at least three feet from

01:42anything flammable, and never leave them unattended, and avoid using ovens or

01:46stovetops to heat your home as that creates a serious fire risk as well. Okay,

01:51we bring you back live again. We're in Burlington County this morning. A couple

01:54of things to note that there, because it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a lot of

01:59people are not going to be in school today. A lot of schools have off. It's

02:05also Inauguration Day, so with all of these things in mind, especially in the

02:09Philadelphia area, many people don't have a school. They don't have work, so the

02:14roads, I hope that most people are staying home, but I don't think that's

02:17going to be the case. I think a lot of people are going to be on the roads

02:19today, heading to locations like here we are, behind me here, and so because of

02:24that, the biggest recommendation right now is to to drive safely on the roads,

02:28get to where you want to go if you are sledding today, but keep that in mind too

02:32as the roads are slippery this morning, and most importantly, bundle up on a day

02:37like today because it is cold, ladies.

Category

Transcript

Recommended