This time the usual winter advice to bundle up before leaving the house won’t be enough.
Temperatures in North Texas on Monday are expected to drop to levels not seen in a long time.
The weather forecast indicates that that day the maximum temperature will be 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 centigrade) but the wind chill will be -4 degrees F (-20 centigrade) due to freezing wind gusts of up to 28 miles per hour that will be left feel, according AccuWeather.com
On Monday, due to low temperatures and sustained wind, the Dallas area will experience the effects of what are known as sub-zero temperatures.
To have a more concrete perspective of what it is all about, it is enough to know that the refrigerator in your house operates at an average temperature of 34 degrees F (1c) while the freezer operates at an average temperature of -3 degrees F (-19c).
This means that on Monday, if you have to go outside, you will feel the environment as if you were inside a freezer that needs to work at a very low temperature to keep food well preserved.
Another cold reference regarding the weather that awaits us is the one offered by the United States Coast Guard.
The agency says that in waters of 32 degrees F (0c) or colder, a human can survive between 15 and 45 minutes, nothing more.
According to historical records from the state of Texas, the coldest day in the Dallas Fort-Worth area was on December 23, 1989 when the mercury fell to -1 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 C)
Unprotected skin suffers lacerations, it hurts at first and then goes numb.
That is dangerous, because it means that the nerve endings have been frozen.
The fingers and toes may develop gangrene if they have been exposed to extreme cold for a long time.
If you go for a walk in those weather conditions with your face uncovered, the first thing you will notice is stiffness in the nose.
If you walk facing the wind, even a hood covering your head, your cheeks will start to freeze.
If you have moustache and you are working outdoors, you may get ice frost.
Do not try to clean them with your gloves, as they are not hot enough to melt the ice and it will cause you a lot of pain.
The site earhugz.com warns of extreme cold in the ears, can cause a Throbbing pain, the lobes turn red and make the cartilage sensitive. This is known as otalgiaWhen one is exposed to sub-zero temperatures for too long, pain can last between 15 and 60 minutes after being exposed to those conditions.
Earmuffs are required to avoid this pain, but these are not common in the North Texas climate.
–