Bitter Cold a Certainty, Winter Storm a Possibility

Bitterly cold weather has arrived, and a winter storm is a possibility.

Wind chill values are in the single digits this morning and will range from zero to five below zero overnight into Saturday morning.

Very cold weather will persist through the middle of next week, with the coldest conditions developing Saturday night through Monday. Wind chills are forecast to drop to 5 to 15 degrees below zero overnight Saturday night into Tuesday morning.

Here's how things are shaping up as far as the cold...

A winter storm is possible Monday and Monday night. While there remains considerable uncertainty on the track of this system, several inches of snow will be possible for portions of southeast Illinois.

This is how the National Weather Service office in St. Louis thinks the storm COULD track...

The Effingham County Health Department and Effingham County Emergency Management urges residents to take necessary precautions to stay safe during these extremely cold temperatures. 

Residents should adjust plans to limit time spent outdoors and their exposure to severe cold. In order to reduce exposure and possible frostbite, cover all exposed parts of the body. Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure of the skin and can occur in as little as 30 minutes. The symptoms of frostbite are numbness and white or pale appearance to the skin. Frostbite can permanently damage the skin. Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition brought on when the body temperature drops below 95 degrees. 

Effingham County Animal Control would like to encourage residents to make sure pets and outdoor animals have access to shelter from these extreme temperatures.

Effingham County residents who need emergency warming may contact the Effingham County Sheriff's Office at 217-342-2102, and they will be put in contact with warming center resources.