Snow in Wisconsin’s Capital City (File photo: Jackie Johnson)
Wisconsin residents are being warned to brace themselves for another blast of extremely cold winter weather.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for much of the state through Thursday morning. Tod Pritchard with Wisconsin Emergency Management says highs will be hovering at right around the zero degree mark, with wind chills between -20 and -35 degrees. “When you get into that wind chill zone, you’re really looking at dangerous conditions,” Pritchard warns. “When you get to -35 wind chills, that’s the point where frostbite can really set in in less than ten minutes.”
Pritchard says it’s important for residents to take some basic precautions to limit the danger posed by the extreme cold. Stay indoors as much as possible, and watch for symptoms of hypothermia or frostbite if you do have to venture outdoors, such as numbness, exhaustion, confusion, or slurred speech.
Also, keep pets indoors as much as possible and make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle, just in case you get stranded somewhere.