Temperatures were expected to drop to near record lows Friday night into this morning with the low dipping to -1 degrees. A low like that would break records in some areas, according to Mike D'Angelo, meteorlogist for the National Weather Service office in State College.
"In Harrisburg, the record for Jan. 4 is 3 degrees above zero," D'Angelo said. "Compare that to Williamsport, where the record for tomorrow is -12 degrees."
D'Angelo says that there won't be much of a break in the winter weather; it will be even worse Sunday night into Monday. The warmer air, if you want to call 34 degrees "warm," will steadily dissipate, producing a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain into Monday afternoon. Then the deep freeze hits.
"Monday night, into Tuesday," D'Angelo says, "we will be seeing lows around the area between -5 and -10."
While a 10 to 15 mph wind seems calm, that, combined with the cold, will be painful to those who have to go outside.
"The combination of the wind and low temperatures will produce a wind chill factor of -25 to -30 degrees," the meteorlogist said. "With those factors, any kind of exposed skin runs the risk of developing frostbite within minutes. So if you have to go out in that weather, bundle up with gloves, hats and scarves - the works."