Arctic Blast Warning as Polar Vortex Can Cause Frostbite in Just 5 Minutes

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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A "once-in-a-generation" storm sweeping across the central and western United States this week is set to cause temperatures to plunge as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), raising the risk of frostbite.

Frostbite—which can occur on exposed body parts like faces, cheeks, fingers, and toes during the extreme cold—has been flagged as a cause for concern as "record-breaking cold and life-threatening wind chills" move from the Great Plains towards the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast.

In cases of frostbite, the affected parts feel cold and painful, and, in extreme cases, the condition can lead to the death of the tissue—which might then need to be amputated.

U.S. Winter storm
In this photo, Pete, a 41-year-old homeless man, warms his hands with a heat lamp at the entrance of an L station as temperatures hang in the single digits on December 22, 2022, in Chicago,... Scott Olson/Getty Images

In its awareness campaign against frostbite, the NWS said that when temperatures are around 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 miles per hour, frostbite can occur in 30 minutes. But as temperatures are expected to drop far below 0 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend, frostbite can occur much quicker than that outdoors.

Talking to the BBC on Friday, Denver-based Channel 9 News meteorologist Chris Bianchi reported that temperatures in the Colorado city plunged by 98 degrees Fahrenheit in just 18 hours. Bianchi called it "some of the wildest weather" seen in the past 40 to 50 years.

The extreme temperature drops the NWS has forecast for this weekend—a difference of 50 or 70 degrees, in the worst cases—could lead to frostbite on bare skin in only five to ten minutes, according to experts quoted by the BBC.

If you suspect frostbite, experts recommend you immediately move inside to an indoor heated location and try warming the parts affected by the condition, whether with your body or warm—but not hot—water. You should seek medical attention if the condition is severe.

Over 200 million Americans—about 60 percent of the U.S. population—across the country have been placed under weather alerts this weekend when conditions are expected to worsen in many places.

This includes, according to the NWS, 181 million people under wind chill warnings or advisories, over 11 million under blizzard warnings, 58 million under winter storm warnings, and over 500,000 under ice storm warnings.

The historic storm is expected to severely disrupt travel during the Christmas holiday weekend when many drive or fly to see family and loved ones.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the arctic blast? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more