Dangerous cold and ice safety

Temperatures look to fall dramatically Wednesday night thanks to a passing cold front bringing cool and dry air from Canada back across the Midwest. This leads to an increased risk of cold weather injuries and dangerous around forming ice on local waterways.

Wind chills cool to the lower single digits thanks to winds gusting out of the northwest at up to 22 mph. This leads to dangerous cold, which can be harmful during prolonged exposure with inadequate layering.

Hypothermia can occur when your interior body temperature falls under 95 degrees. Early symptoms can very depending on person to person basis but some early warning signs include confusion, sleepiness, difficulty speaking, and stiff muscles. If yourself or anybody else experiences these symptoms, make sure to warm the affected person slowly at room temperature. If conditions persist, professional medical attention should be called immediately.

On top of these cooler temperatures, ice continues to form across local ponds and waterways. This could have people looking to turn towards ice skating, but their are some basic rules people should go by to maintain safety. The first is the ice thickness, which currently is underneath the threshold across Mid-Missouri for the time being. Ice thickness should be at least 4" or more to maintain adequate standards to support most people. Make sure to make various measurements from different spots on the ice to maintain the appropriate thickness. On top of this, scope out clear solid ice. Ice that is lighter shades of white should be avoided as it can consist of trapped air and snow weakening the ice's strength.