Wind Chill

HAGERSTOWN -- The National Weather Service on Thursday warned that Tri-State area residents should take steps to protect themselves if they venture outside in the frigid temperatures that are expected over the next few days. Jackie Hale, a National Weather Service spokeswoman, said northwest winds of up to 30 mph were expected to continue into today. "That could bring our wind chills down to 5 below at times," Hale said. A wind chill advisory was in effect for the area overnight and was not expected to be lifted until 6 p.m. today.

By BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writer Thursday's high temperature may have reached a respectable 41 degrees - but wind gusts made it feel as cold as 40 degrees below zero at times. "That's pretty strong gusts of wind," said Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer. He said the wind gusts reached up to 50 mph. Keefer added that the wind chill most of the day wasn't quite so bad - averaging between 7 and 15 degrees below zero. Maryland State Police Trooper 1st Class Matt Jones felt the sting of a northern cold front Thursday afternoon while he investigated a traffic accident.

Public schools in the Eastern Panhandle counties of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan will be operating on a two-hour delay this morning because of the cold weather, officials said Monday night. National Weather Service forecasters said Monday night that a wind chill advisory was expected to remain in effect until 10 a.m. today with wind chill temperatures expected to dip as low as 10 below during the period.

A pedestrian walks through an alley Tuesday behind Hagerstown's new Arts and Entertainment parking deck. Though the weather was damp Tuesday, temperatures rose to an almost springlike 52 degrees in Hagerstown. That's a world of difference from the same date last year, when the high was only 16 degrees and the wind chill was minus-15, according to data from Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's Web site, i4weather.net. The record high for Feb. 5 in Hagerstown was 71 degrees in 1991, according to Keefer's records.

TRI-STATE Several school systems in the Tri-State area delayed the start of classes for two hours Monday morning when wind chill temperatures plunged near zero. Washington County Public Schools opened on time. Carol Mowen, the system's spokeswoman, said Superintendent Elizabeth M. Morgan decided against delaying the start of school because the weather forecast wasn't expected to change significantly between the time classes normally begin and the time the two-hour delay would have ended.

Be sure to bring coats and umbrellas to the Alsatia Mummers' Parade tonight. Temperatures were expected to be in the mid-50s by start time at 7 with the wind chill making it feel like the 40s, said Richard Hitchens, National Weather Service meteorologist. Hitchens said there was a 50 percent chance of scattered showers during the parade. It could feel raw, Hitchens said. As many as 100,000 to 150,000 people are expected to line the 2 1/2-mile parade route. Marching bands, floats, fire engines, drill teams and majorettes will parade down Potomac Street from Oak Hill Avenue to Wilson Boulevard during the 2 1/2-hour spectacle.

True to the weatherman's word, the snow tapered off Saturday morning. The Tri-State area was left with up to 10 inches of snow and ice after the double whammy when a nor'easter in the making followed a weaker storm system through the area. Washington County's forecast didn't call for more precipitation until Wednesday and that would be rain, said Trina Heiser with the National Weather Service. The wind chill overnight was expected to be from 5 below zero to 5 above, Heiser said.

The question most often asked of participants in the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon is simply, “Why?” Perhaps the best answer is, “Why not?” Why not take the circuitous route from Boonsboro to Williamsport, turning a 12-mile trip across Md. 68 into a 50-mile trek across rural roads, the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal towpath? Why not battle the elements, which have ranged from extreme heat (80-degree temperatures in 1967) to extreme cold (a wind chill of minus-15 degrees at the start in 1987)

TRI-STATE Exposed flesh can freeze in minutes when the temperature gets as cold as it has the last few days, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. Therefore, it is important to cover any unprotected skin with warm clothing, Dennis Feltgen said. "Limit your time outdoors," Feltgen said. "And wear a hat, more than 40 percent of heat escaping the body leaves through the head. " The high and low temperatures today are expected to reach 21 and 16 degrees, with the wind chill below zero, according to the National Weather Service.

By JENNYLYNN BROWN Staff Writer March went out like a lion Monday as gusting winds roared through the Tri-State area. Wind gusts reached a high of 43 mph in Hagerstown at 12:48 p.m. Monday. In Clear Spring, winds hit a peak of 75 mph at 2:30 p.m. "March and April are windy months," said Andy Woodcock, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. "When it's changing from cold winter air to warm spring air, something's got to give. " Monday's National Weather Service figures for the area logged wind gusts at 30 mph to 40 mph for much of the day. The strong air flow kept Washington County sheriff's deputies busy checking alarms set off by the wind, police said Monday evening.

Richard Roberts of Clear Spring was outside Tuesday, selling Baltimore Ravens gear at the intersection of Dual Highway and Mount Aetna Road. “It's all right as long as the wind isn't blowing,” said Roberts, 60. “I've got plenty of clothes on. If you want to eat you've got to work.” Roberts and other area residents who had to be outside struggled to stay warm on a day when the temperature in Hagerstown hit a high of 22.5 degrees at midnight,...

Hagerstown residents Mike Hennesy and Dick Martin weren't in Washington, D.C., Monday for the inauguration of President Obama, but they played a role in an inaugural parade more than 50 years ago. Hennesy and Martin were members of the South Hagerstown High School band that marched in the Jan. 20, 1961, inaugural parade for John F. Kennedy. One of their memories of that day is the weather. “I can't ever remember it being that cold, and it just wouldn't go away,” Martin, 67, said.

The question most often asked of participants in the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon is simply, “Why?” Perhaps the best answer is, “Why not?” Why not take the circuitous route from Boonsboro to Williamsport, turning a 12-mile trip across Md. 68 into a 50-mile trek across rural roads, the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal towpath? Why not battle the elements, which have ranged from extreme heat (80-degree temperatures in 1967) to extreme cold (a wind chill of minus-15 degrees at the start in 1987)

HAGERSTOWN -- The National Weather Service on Thursday warned that Tri-State area residents should take steps to protect themselves if they venture outside in the frigid temperatures that are expected over the next few days. Jackie Hale, a National Weather Service spokeswoman, said northwest winds of up to 30 mph were expected to continue into today. "That could bring our wind chills down to 5 below at times," Hale said. A wind chill advisory was in effect for the area overnight and was not expected to be lifted until 6 p.m. today.

A pedestrian walks through an alley Tuesday behind Hagerstown's new Arts and Entertainment parking deck. Though the weather was damp Tuesday, temperatures rose to an almost springlike 52 degrees in Hagerstown. That's a world of difference from the same date last year, when the high was only 16 degrees and the wind chill was minus-15, according to data from Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's Web site, i4weather.net. The record high for Feb. 5 in Hagerstown was 71 degrees in 1991, according to Keefer's records.

Editor's note: Each week, The Herald-Mail invites readers to answer poll questions on its Web site, www.herald-mail.com . Readers also may submit comments about the poll question when voting. Each Sunday, a sampling of edited reader comments will run in The Herald-Mail. Last week's poll question was: When should schools be delayed or canceled because of temperatures? "What many community members are unaware of is that many schools have inadequate heating systems and on unusually cold days they do not function properly.

TRI-STATE Exposed flesh can freeze in minutes when the temperature gets as cold as it has the last few days, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. Therefore, it is important to cover any unprotected skin with warm clothing, Dennis Feltgen said. "Limit your time outdoors," Feltgen said. "And wear a hat, more than 40 percent of heat escaping the body leaves through the head. " The high and low temperatures today are expected to reach 21 and 16 degrees, with the wind chill below zero, according to the National Weather Service.

TRI-STATE Several school systems in the Tri-State area delayed the start of classes for two hours Monday morning when wind chill temperatures plunged near zero. Washington County Public Schools opened on time. Carol Mowen, the system's spokeswoman, said Superintendent Elizabeth M. Morgan decided against delaying the start of school because the weather forecast wasn't expected to change significantly between the time classes normally begin and the time the two-hour delay would have ended.

Public schools in the Eastern Panhandle counties of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan will be operating on a two-hour delay this morning because of the cold weather, officials said Monday night. National Weather Service forecasters said Monday night that a wind chill advisory was expected to remain in effect until 10 a.m. today with wind chill temperatures expected to dip as low as 10 below during the period.

True to the weatherman's word, the snow tapered off Saturday morning. The Tri-State area was left with up to 10 inches of snow and ice after the double whammy when a nor'easter in the making followed a weaker storm system through the area. Washington County's forecast didn't call for more precipitation until Wednesday and that would be rain, said Trina Heiser with the National Weather Service. The wind chill overnight was expected to be from 5 below zero to 5 above, Heiser said.