Why Wind Chills Are So Dangerous

When wind chills drop to the levels we are going to see Tuesday night and Wednesday, we refer to them are "dangerous". But what makes wind chills life threatening?

Here's the wind chill forecast for Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Wednesday night. For the most part, wind chills will stay in the -25° to -35° range during those 36 hours.

With feel-like temperatures that cold, frostbite can set in as quickly as 10-15 minutes. Frostbite is when your skin and underlying body tissue freezes. Frostbite can lead to amputation or even death if not treated right away.



If you're looking for a generic way to determine how fast frostbite can develop, check out this graph from the National Weather Service. You can also check out a frostbite calculator here. -BA