Sunday, January 05, 2014

January 4th

The precursory sunrise on what will likely be an historic winter event currently ramping up over the Midwest fell on a special date. The earth reached perihelion which means it is at its closest point to the sun for the year. It was also on this date six years ago that my mother's battle with cancer came to an end. The closeness of perihelion does not affect our planetary temperature. The timing of this moment however, brought a warmth to my spirit despite the biting cold and blowing snow.













Friday, January 03, 2014

2°

Here comes the cold! Could be some quality posts in coming days, hopefully anyways.





(below c/o National Weather Service Lincoln Illinois)

Life-Threatening Cold Weather Early Next Week

In the wake of a winter storm system which will dump several inches of snow this weekend, brutally cold weather will spread over much of the Midwest. Temperatures will be well below zero from late Sunday evening, all the way into early Tuesday afternoon. Morning lows of 10 below zero or colder will be widespread Monday morning and Tuesday morning, with locations north of I-74 likely colder than 15 below zero.

As blustery northwest winds continue through much of the period, wind chills will fall to exceptionally low levels for this area. Wind chills by early Monday morning will range from 25 below zero to 35 below zero, and as much as 40 below zero north of I-74. These dangerously cold wind chills will persist through midday Tuesday.

Such cold weather will be threatening to life and property. It is best to remain inside as much as possible during this cold snap. If you must be outside, dress warmly in multiple layers, and limit the amount of exposed skin. Frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes, and hypothermia (body temperature of less than 95 degrees) will be a serious threat for people that must be outside for an extended period of time. Should your furnace fail, do NOT use ovens or outdoor grills to warm your home, as they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or fires. Go to a friend or family member's home, or check with your local municipality to see if they have warming shelters established. Be sure to know how to turn off your water supply should the pipes burst. Animals should be brought to an indoor shelter.