STATEWIDE--With winter weather looming in Indiana, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis is making sure you are prepared with Winter Weather Preparedness Week.
“It’s getting to be almost the middle of November. Thanksgiving is around the corner. We have some colder weather coming up in our forecast. You need to get into a routine of checking the weather every day,” said Alex McGinnis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.
McGinnis says you need to have your car as ready as possible for wintry conditions like snow, ice, and sleet.
“It’s always good to keep things stocked in your car like a blanket and a shovel. The blanket will help keep you warm. If you get caught out in the elements, you can use the shovel to help you get out of a jam because it is very easy to get stuck in the snow,” said McGinnis.
Temperatures can change quickly in Indiana.
“Keep in mind, this is a landlocked area. We’re not near a body of water, so we can have these very strong fronts bringing temperature drops from 20 to 50 degrees in a 24 hour period,” said McGinnis.
He also urges you to not just keep an eye on the temperatures, but also the wind chill. Wind chill is dangerous because it can actually cause tissue to freeze in a process called frostbite.
“Let’s say we’re forecasting a low temperature of 25 degrees, but if it’s quite blustery, then the wind chill could be 10 to 20 degrees colder. That would indicate that you need to take steps to keep yourself warm,” said McGinnis.
Low temperatures are projected to be in the 30s or below at times this weekend across Indiana.
