Temperatures are dropping and near-blizzard-like conditions in parts of Southwest Michigan are making travel hazardous as the state braces for extreme cold weather.
Warming shelter locations from WOOD-TV
According to the National Weather Service, the air that’s moving toward the Great Lakes is the coldest the region has experienced in 25 years. James Baker is the public services director for the City of Kalamazoo. At a city commission meeting Tuesday he said the area could experience wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees. That’s cold enough to cause frostbite on unprotected skin in minutes. Baker urged people to “think twice” about going out.
"If you become trapped outside for whatever reason, whether that’s through vehicle accident or you’re out walking about and can’t get back into shelter, those temperatures can become fatal."
Baker suggested that even “common” tasks like shoveling snow could put people at risk.
