Wind chills could hit -20 degrees Monday, region under advisory

Meteorologist issues warning about frostbite and hypothermia.

The Dayton region is under a wind advisory Monday as the air could feel as cold as -20 degrees.

Temperatures will be well below freezing and wind chills will keep the air feeling sub-zero for most of Monday.

“Our wind chills are going to keep dropping,” said WHIO’s Storm Center 7 meteorologist Molly Coates. “It’s a good day to take caution and not go out because of those wind chill values. Frostbite and hypothermia are a big thing.”

Wear lots of layers and loose clothing, limit time outside and better yet, just don’t leave home if possible, she said. Winds of 10 mph can set frostbite in as little as 30 minutes at these wind chills.

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The wind chill advisory went into effect Sunday night at 6 p.m. and will last through noon Monday.

But even after the warning ends, temperatures will only reach a high of 15 degrees, not warm enough to pass freezing and begin to melt off roadways that could still be slick from the wintry mix and snow accumulation from the weekend.

"Thatdefinitelyhindersthemeltingprocessbecausetemperaturesaresocoldfromthat polar air that's coming in from the north," Coates said. "It's not looking good to melt a whole bunch of snow."

As much as 6.5 inches of snow accumulated in parts of the area over the weekend. The communities recording the most snow were Tipp City at 6.5 inches; Urbana, St. Paris, Wapakoneta, Celina and Liberty Twp. at 6 inches; and Troy at 5.5 inches.
The snow packed on top of freezing rain that swept the Dayton-area Saturday and Sunday and put several area counties under snow advisories. Many reaching Level 2, when motorists are urged to avoid leaving home unless they must. Preble county hit a Level 3, meaning it was illegal to be on the roadways.

Accidents around region, flights delayed

Traffic was light on Sunday, but there were still several slide offs and accidents reported on slick roads. One involved a snow plow and SUV, leaving at least one person injured. The driver of the SUV was trapped in the vehicle on U.S. 35 near the U.S. 42 overpass in Xenia.

Greene County’s Brush Row Road was shut down between Stevenson and Mason Roads Sunday near Central State University after several vehicles slid off the road and were stuck in the snow.

A Greyhound bus also broke down at a Speedway gas station in Tipp City while traveling between Detroit and Cincinnati around 3 a.m. Sunday, leaving passengers stranded in freezing temperatures until a back-up bus arrived nine hours later.

“Toes and fingers are going numb, tingling, so we’re at that point we don’t want to be here anymore,” passenger Raleigh Anderson said. 

Roadway and air travelers alike saw issues from the winter storm with more than 4,000 flight cancellations across the nation Saturday and Sunday. Dozens of flights flying through Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus were affected.

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The cancellations are already stretching into Monday as airlines shift equipment around to resume normal operations. Airlines recommend checking a flight’s status online before heading to the airport.

Along with accidents, more than 500 churches and businesses were closed or delayed Sunday as a result of the weather.

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Warming centers open, thousands without power

Warming Centers have also been set up at the Farmersville Fire Association and at the Springfield Soup Kitchen for residents who need somewhere to warm up. DP&L said more than 10,000 of its customers were without power at some point during the storm.

The electric provider said Darke, Montgomery and Fayette counties were some of the hardest hit.

Early Sunday morning, power outages totaled more than 1,100 in Darke county, more than 1,100 in Miami County and more than 800 in Montgomery County.

Temperatures should begin to warm up mid-week, including upper 30 and potentially 40s Tuesday. The warmer temperatures could help melt some of the snow, Coates said, but Storm Center 7 is tracking another system that could bring snow or rain.

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