Insider Blog: How dangerous this cold can be

Cold air will continue to rush in overnight into tomorrow morning. This will create dangerous conditions late tonight that will persist into early Friday. 

A common danger with cold like this is frostbite, as it doesn't take long to do damage. With windchill values in the negative teens early tomorrow, the top layers of your skin can literally start to freeze in less than 30 minutes. With mild cases this can be resolved with warming, but if you suspect you have frostbite, it's important to seek medical attention anyway. 

Easily identifiable symptoms include a numb or tingly sensation and red, purple, or blue skin. 

Chris Heuman, the owner of a-1 foundation solutions works in all conditions year round. He says he's had a close call in the past. 

"Umm, I was working on a water line when it was below zero and got wet, and uh it frost bit my fingers."

When it's this cold, staying dry means staying warm.  With temperatures only this cold for a few days, it's important not to trust ice that may form on any shallow bodies of water. 

Falling into a near freezing body of water can induce hypothermia and become life threatening in just a few minutes.