Bitterly cold temperatures continue into Wednesday

A cold weather advisory remains in place for our area through 10 Wednesday morning, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerously cold temperatures over the next few days.

According to the weather service, this mass of frigid air was above the Arctic Circle less than a week ago, and is bringing intense cold and winds that will make it feel like it is up to 20 degrees below zero at times.

Forecasters say temperatures should fall to near zero tonight into Wednesday morning. Afternoon highs today are only expected to get into the low teens. With wind chills today of -6.

With this cold, you could get frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

If you need to warm up you can stop by Donner Center until 5 p.m. today, or the branches of the Bartholomew County Public Library. After 5 p.m., the Brighter Days shelter will be available as a warming station.

Authorities are urging you to take care of your animals in this extreme cold. The city of Columbus requires that you bring your outside dog indoors into a temperature controlled building, when temperatures drop to 20 degrees or below.

Your dog house should keep your dog dry and help them maintain their body heat. It should only be big enough for the dog to turn around inside and not much bigger. You should place the opening to the south and cover the entrance with heavy plastic or cloth strips. Also, straw provides much better bedding material in the cold than blankets.