Dangerous Cold Heading Our Way
Much of the United States will be subjected to sub-zero temperatures as a Polar Vortex draws freezing air from the arctic, dropping temperatures in north central Pennsylvania to as low as -15 degrees F.
Some locations are issuing their first Wind Chill Warning ever as wind gusts into the thirties will cause the “feel like” temperature to drop to more than twenty below. In some areas of the country, temperatures will be lower than those recorded on the surface of Mars, with places like Duluth, Montana bracing for expected wind chill temperatures of -56 degrees.
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the Keystone State was -42 degrees, according to The Weather Channel. It is reported to have recorded in Smethport, McKean County on Jan. 5, 1904. Compare that to the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country – 80 degrees below zero in Alaska 48 years ago – and the temperatures that Pennsylvania will be subjected to suddenly don’t seem so bad. Nevertheless, prepare to bundle up all the same.
People are advised to stay indoors where possible whilst temperatures are at their lowest. This is going to be a busy time for companies like CJS Heating, as it is expected the cold weather could wreak havoc with heating systems across the country. The colder the temperatures outside, the harder your furnace must work to keep your home a comfortable temperature. The harder your furnace works, the higher the likelihood that something will go wrong.
(Full story in the Cameron County Echo on the news stand)