Community Corner

'Polar Vortex' Brings -15 Wind Chill to Falls Church Tuesday

Falls Church is under a Wind Chill Advisory from midnight Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Here's the weather timeline for Monday and Tuesday when temperatures are expected to be extremely cold.

UPDATE, Monday, 1 a.m.: Falls Church is under a Wind Chill Advisory until 6 p.m. Tuesday. Public schools are closed for the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County.

The National Weather Service forecast, updated by NWS at 11:52 p.m. Monday for Tuesday: "Sunny. Cooler with highs around 15. West winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Wind chill values as low as 15 below in the morning." 

Tuesday Night: "Mostly clear. Cold with lows around 11. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Wind chill values as low as zero." 

Here's the Wind Chill Advisory, updated Monday at 9:58 p.m. by the NWS:
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST TUESDAY... * WIND CHILL...5 BELOW TO 15 BELOW ZERO. * TIMING...TONIGHT (Monday) THROUGH TUESDAY. THE LOWEST WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. * TEMPERATURES...FALLING INTO THE TEENS THIS EVENING...THEN LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TONIGHT AND HIGHS IN THE TEENS TUESDAY. * WINDS...WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. * IMPACTS...DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS COULD THEN LEAD TO FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

Northern Virginia will begin to pull out of the deep freeze by Wednesday, when the area will see a "balmy" high of 31 degrees.

Also read:

Take Precautions in Extreme Cold Weather
How to Prevent and Deal with Frozen Pipes
Keeping Your Pets Safe in Cold Weather
Freezing Northern Virginia: 5 Memorable Winters
Dead Car Battery? Cold Weather May Be the Problem


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