355 PM CST SUN JAN 5 2014

…EXTREME LIFE THREATENING COLD EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES SAYS AN EXTREMELY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN ITS GRIP ON IOWA INTO THE NIGHT AND PERSIST INTO TUESDAY. COMBINED WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS…LIFE THREATENING COLD AND WIND CHILLS WILL OCCUR…ESPECIALLY TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

A WIND CHILL WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH NOON TUESDAY, FOR MOST OF THE STATE OF IOWA.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH AND HIGHER GUSTS…COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS BELOW ZERO AFTER SUNSET…WILL CREATE WIND CHILL VALUES FROM 25 TO 45 BELOW ZERO BY LATE EVENING. THE COLDEST OF THESE READINGS WILL OCCUR OVER NORTHERN IOWA.

* WIND CHILL VALUES…AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITH EXTREME WIND CHILL VALUES AT LEAST DOWN TO 20 TO 40 BELOW ZERO WILL OCCUR INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THE WORST AND MOST LIFE THREATENING WIND CHILL INDICES ARE EXPECTED EARLY MONDAY MORNING…SEVERAL HOURS EITHER SIDE OF DAYBREAK…WITH WIND CHILLS FROM 35 TO 55 BELOW.

* IMPACTS…EXTREME WIND CHILLS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN RESULT IN FROST BITE IN MINUTES AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE LIFE THREATENING LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.