ok, its cold yo

one of the heavy shop buildings has installed their own weather vane. apparently it sits up pretty high and directly in the wind and they record colder tmeperatures than the weatherman here posts. last night the wind chill was -120 F. this morning it was -104 F. all i can say is that its cold. so cold that we got this email this morning:

All~
Over the last couple of days or so, several people have asked me questions along the lines of "How long will it take my ears to freeze when it's like this {frikkin' cold} outside?" The following chart (below) seems to sum it all up pretty reasonably. It came from http://www.theweathernetwork.com/glossary/windchill . Similar info is also available at non-commercial sites such as http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill/windchillglossary.shtml. The reference to exposed skin freezing in under 2 minutes ought to get some degree of attention since that's in the general vicinity of how long it takes to walk from 155 to the dorms, etc.


Wind Chill Range Rating Impact
~0 to Minus 9 Low Minor increase in discomfort

Minus 10 to -24 Moderate Uncomfortable
~Bared skin feels cold
~Danger of hypothermia if outdoors for extended periods

Minus 25 to -44 Cold Danger of skin freezing (frostbite)
~Remember that the average person's skin begins to freeze at a wind chill of -25
~Examine face, fingers, toes, ears and nose for numbness or whiteness
~Threat of hypothermia if outdoors for extended periods

Minus 45 to -59 Extreme Exposed skin may freeze in mere minutes
~Examine face, fingers, toes, ears and nose for numbness or whiteness
~Severe danger of hypothermia if outdoors for long periods
~Be prepared to end outdoor activities early or cancel them completely

Minus 60 or colder DANGER!
~HIGH RISK! Conditions outside are hazardous
~Skin left uncovered may freeze in under 2 minutes
~If possible stay indoors