Negative wind-chill forecast prompts school delays

Wind blows snow off the roof of a building Wednesday on Liberty Street in Chambersburg. Wind chill temperatures could dip into the double negative digits Thursday. (Markell DeLoatch Public Opinion)

FRANKLIN COUNTY >> Double-digit wind chill values will blow in Thursday and create what AccuWeather expects will be the coldest day of winter so far.

All of Pennsylvania, and most of the eastern half of the nation, is under a wind chill advisory for part of Thursday. In Franklin County and the surrounding region, the advisory extends through 3 p.m.

In this area, the coldest wind chills are expected late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, said Greg DeVoir, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College. Residents should prepare for wind chills dipping to 20 below zero at times, he said.

The cold morning forecast prompted Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Tuscarora and Shippensburg school districts to call two-hour delays for Thursday morning by early evening Wednesday.

The warmest part of the day will be 18 degrees with the wind chill making it -9 degrees, according to NWS.

The cause of the freeze is an arctic air mass which, combined with gusty winds, will produce lower temperatures the farther it reaches into the area, according to DeVoir.

As the digits drop, the danger they can cause increases.

The key to staying warm, and preventing hypothermia, is dressing in layers and ensuring skin is covered, according to NWS. Eat nutritious food and stay hydrated throughout the day.

Those older than 65 are especially susceptible to hypothermia, accounting for almost half of deaths caused by it, according to Home Instead Senior Care. This is because as people age, they can lose ability to feel how cold it really is.

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Negative wind-chill forecast prompts school delays