Jan 29, 2019 4 min read

Baby, it’s going to be cold outside.

Really, really cold.

The Pittsburgh region is bracing for a blast of frigid weather Wednesday and Thursday that will put daytime highs somewhere around 10 degrees, and low temperatures below zero.

An arctic air mass will dip down into the Midwest, and is anticipated to bring a brutal chill to places like Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay, Wis. While the Pittsburgh region will not see the minus-20 lows that are anticipated in locations along the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, it will still be bitterly cold.

Wednesday could end up being the coldest day the Pittsburgh region has endured since Feb. 24, 2015, when the temperature hit minus 9. Add in wind chills, and the temperature could feel more like minus 20. Wind-chill warnings will likely be issued for the northwestern portion of Pennsylvania, according to Michael Brown, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township, while wind chill advisories will probably be issued for the Pittsburgh region. Brown explained that warnings are issued when wind chills are anticipated to be minus 25 or colder, while advisories are reserved for wind chills in the range of minus 10 to minus 25.

Still, “that’s cold,” Brown pointed out. “The air is streaming right out of the Arctic.”

And that kind of cold could cause all kinds of problems for area residents, from frozen pipes to dead car batteries. Jim Garrity, a spokesman for Pennsylvania’s AAA East Central office, pointed out that drivers should “strongly consider” getting the batteries tested in their vehicles before the cold comes barreling in, particularly if the batteries are more than three years old.

“It’s a better-safe-than-sorry kind of thing,” Garrity said.

Drivers should also make sure that their vehicle’s tires are properly inflated, because tires lose pressure in the extreme cold thanks to air being more dense. If vehicles are parked outside, the association recommends that they be parked where they experience the least exposure to the wind. Also, devices such as phone chargers should be unplugged.

Homeowners also need to take precautions in the face of severe cold. It’s recommended that exposed water lines outdoors, or in garages, attics or basements, be covered in insulated sleeves. Cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms should be left open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes, and leaks or cracks around bathroom and kitchen pipes should be sealed. Also, hoses should be removed from outdoor faucets.

If, despite all these precautions, pipes end up freezing, it’s recommended that a hair dryer or heat gun be run along a pipe to gradually warm it. Pouring a tablespoon of salt down a drain can also help clear a frozen pipe, though water should not be added because a sudden change in temperature could crack the pipe.

Of course, bone-chilling cold can pose a threat to the bones of human beings who venture out in the weather, as well as other parts of the body. Slipping on ice can lead to fractures and sprains, but perhaps the greatest threat cold weather poses to humans is hypothermia. In its most severe stages, prolonged exposure to extreme cold can lead to confusion, fatigue and loss of consciousness. The elderly and infants are at greatest risk, according to Kathleen Latouf, the medical director of Canonsburg Hospital’s emergency department.

Her recommendations? “If you go outside, limit your exposure,” she said.

All things must pass, as the late former Beatle George Harrison once sang, and the cold snap will not last long. By Sunday and into next week, high temperatures are forecast to be in the 40s and 50s. There’s still a chance, though, that weather more fit for polar bears could be returning before winter gives up the ghost.

“It’s Western Pennsylvania, and it’s still January,” Brown said.