The National Weather Service released an extreme cold watch at 1:01 a.m. on Thursday valid from Saturday 1 a.m. until Sunday 10 a.m. for Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
The weather service comments, “Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero possible. The coldest wind chills are expected to be late Friday night through Saturday.”
“Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 15 minutes,” describes the weather service. “This is a potentially dangerous situation to be outdoors. If you must be outside, be sure to cover all exposed skin. Frostbite can occur in 15 minutes or less with apparent temperatures of 25 below zero or colder.”
Understanding cold weather alerts
Extreme cold watch: Be Prepared. An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible. As with a warning, adjust your plans to avoid being outside during the coldest parts of the day. Make sure your car has at least half a tank of gas, and update your winter survival kit…