Severe Weather Alert for Monroe! Fog and Dangerous Wind Chills

By Les Masterson and Wendy Mitchell

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Weather Alert for Sunday due to dense fog in our area. Drivers are urged to use caution, slow down and use low beam headlights.

Weather forecasters are also predicting dangerous wind chills for Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service said wind chills at that time could drop to as low as 0 to 14 below zero in Connecticut.

Forecasters are predicting that the cold arctic blast in store for this week will rival last year’s “polar vortex.”

Wednesday night and Thursday morning will be the coldest this coming week, but you’ll need to bundle up all week.

Monday’s high is expected to reach 30 -- and then the high temperatures are expected to fall into the 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the teens on Thursday.

Light snow is also possible for Tuesday, but only a tenth to a quarter of an inch is expected.

With the frigid temperatures expected to take hold this week, it’s a good time to review some cold weather tips from the NWS:

1. Minimize outdoor activities, especially for the elderly and very young.

2. Dress in several layers of loose-fitting clothing rather than a single layer of heavy clothing.

3. Wear a hat, mittens and waterproof boots. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

4. When using heating sources such as fireplaces, wood stoves and space heaters, be sure to ventilate them correctly.

5. Test smoke alarms and keep carbon monoxide detectors handy.

6. Bring pets out of the cold. Don’t assume they can handle the cold. If you are not warm, they are not either.