Bitterly cold start to the work week

A northerly breeze coupled with very cold temperatures Sunday night will make it feel as low as 15 below zero in northeastern sections of Mid-Missouri. A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect from midnight to 9 a.m. Monday for Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Chariton, Howard, Macon, Monroe, Montgomery and Randolph counties where wind chills of 15 to 20 below zero are expected. If you will be outdoors, cover all exposed skin to avoid frostbite which can occur in 30 minutes in these conditions.

Farther south, wind chill readings will drop as low as 10 to 15 below zero near I-70 and to 5-10 below at the Lake of the Ozarks as low temperatures dip to near zero. Columbia is expected to drop to 1 which is close to the record low of -1 set back in 1910 on the morning of Feb. 23rd.

The northerly winds of 10 mph will diminish through the day Monday with afternoon high temperatures only reaching the upper teens to lower 20s under partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will stay 25 to 30 degrees below the average for this date which is 47 at the Columbia Regional Airport.