Wind Chill Warning Issued For Northeast Ohio

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for much of northern Ohio for Tuesday through Thursday. The agency said "life-threatening" wind chill temperatures will cut through the region.

Temperatures are expected to drop into the negative range on Tuesday night, and remain there through Thursday. With wind gusts of up to 30 mph, the wind chill temperature will be -35 degrees in parts of the state. The extreme cold could cause life-threatening injuries in a short amount of time.

The dangerous cold has been forecast for some time, with the National Weather Service initially issuing a wind chill advisory this week. That was upgraded to a wind chill warning on Tuesday, as the cutting cold moved closer to reality.

The extreme cold could cause black ice on roadways and make driving more hazardous than usual. Schools are also monitoring the cold, with many likely to close rather than send children to bus stops.

"Wednesday may be the first time since January 1994 that highs remain below zero in many locations. Low temperatures Wednesday and Thursday morning will be the lowest the region has felt since February 2015 and could break daily records by several degrees," the National Weather Service said.

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Many cities and churches are opening up warming centers for the local homeless population. Residents are being warned to take steps to protect their pipes from flash freezing.

The cold freeze should end by Thursday night, as temperatures gradually warm up. By Sunday, Northeast Ohio could see a high in the mid-40s.

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