Weather Alert Day: Tracking dangerously cold wind chills Christmas morning

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day for Friday morning for the threat of dangerously cold wind chills on Christmas Day.

Temperatures have dropped like a rock behind the front that moved through yesterday. Arctic air dropping south from Canada sticks around through tomorrow afternoon before exiting east and winds begin to turn back south.

Winds stay in the 15-20 mph range on Friday morning, and with air temperatures around 10 degrees, we'll see widespread wind chills between -5 and zero for the morning.

Conditions will improve drastically by tomorrow afternoon with sunshine compounded with southerly winds, bringing in warmer temperatures. We warm into the low 50s for the weekend, ending the cold snap.

Make sure to prepare for the cold weather by protecting exposed skin. Strong winds coupled with very cold air temperatures push away heat from the body, making it dangerous to be outside for long periods of time. Bring pets inside and cover up with hats, gloves, and scarves in addition to warm layers.