How Long Could It Take Iowans To Get Frostbite This Week?

Winter is the worst.

The last few mornings have been awfully cold in our area. We've all had to layer up before we go outside. For me it's been a sweatshirt, 2 jackets, thick gloves, a scarf, and a beanie.

With parts of Iowa in Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories into Tuesday, it's important to keep yourself warm and layer up as much as you can. It doesn't take much time at all for frostbite to set in.

The Frostbite Timetable

Wind chills & speed are a huge determining factor in frostbite. Tonight, they're expected to be around -20 to -35. Winds in Davenport are expected to be around 15 mph tonight too, according to our friends at KWQC.

So with those stats, it would only take about 5-10 minutes to get frostbit.

Here's the table to compare where you're at:

We're used to super cold snaps this time of the year, but you still can't take it for granted. It takes extra time in the morning, but layer up and bundle up probably more than you might think you need to.

If you're frostbit, you might experience numbness, tingling, patches of skin that different colors (red, purple, blue, gray, or brown), waxy-looking skin, joint stiffness, and blistering after you rewarm it.

The good news is that, for this week, it's going to warm up (with the wind stats later this week, it would take about 30 minutes to get frostbit). But keep the timetable in your back pocket during the super cold snaps. It's really handy to remember.