Extreme and dangerous South Plains cold

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Extremely cold air, with dangerous wind chills, has arrived and will continue through Friday morning. No surprise as our forecast has covered this over the past week.

Overall there is little change to our forecast. It is the coldest we’ve experienced in any December in more than 30 years.

Dangerously low wind chills are expected across the KCBD viewing area through Friday morning. We continue to designate today and tomorrow as First Alert Weather Days to keep attention focused on this cold. Stay inside if you can. If not, check our suggestions below.

Lubbock at 7:30 this morning reported a temperature of 7°F and a wind chill of -15°F. Temperatures will remain in the single-digits this morning with teens this afternoon. However, the wind chill will continue from about -10 to -15°F through tomorrow morning.

Wind chills as low as minus 25°F are likely across the northern viewing area.

The north wind will continue at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts greater than 40 mph, through most of the day. Wind speeds will only gradually slow through the night and tomorrow.

Still, wind chills won’t improve until midday tomorrow.

A WIND CHILL WARNING, issued by the National Weather Service, covers roughly the northern two-thirds of the viewing area. This includes Lubbock, Levelland, and Plainview. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY is in effect for the rest of the KCBD viewing area. Both the warning and advisory will continue through noon tomorrow.

In addition to very windy and extremely cold, today and tonight will be partly cloudy.

In addition to very cold, tomorrow will be cloudy. A few snow flakes, a few flurries are possible. They won’t be an issue. There won’t be any accumulation or measurable precipitation. The issue is the cold. Sub-zero wind chills will continue through about midday Friday. Single-digit chills are likely through Friday afternoon.

If you don’t have to be outside, stay inside. If you must go out, dress for it. At the forecast wind chill factors frostbite (to exposed skin) and hypothermia may begin in less than 30 minutes.

- Leave no skin exposed, especially nose, fingers, and ears

- Dress in several warm, lightweight layers

- Limit time outdoors to less than 30 minutes

- Check on elderly and infirm family and friends

- Pets need protection from the cold

- Animals outside need shelter from the wind and the cold

Also, don’t forget pipes. Outdoor pipes should be drained and wrapped, or allowed to drip. For inside pipes, don’t set your thermostat too low, open cabinets under faucets on outside walls, and let some faucets slowly drip.

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