Protect yourself from frostbite when temperatures dip

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - The temperatures in the Lafayette area on Monday were brutal, but it couldn't have been as bad as if you were living in Alaska, right?

"If you were to find the closest point from Russia on the Bering Strait, Tin City, Alaska is there," said News 18 Meteorologist Cameron Hopman. "They're going to be at 14 degrees on Monday. We're going to be colder than that."

OK, so maybe wrong, but the fact is, temperatures never soared above the teens on Monday, making exposed body parts susceptible to frostbite.

If your little ones are boarding the school bus Tuesday morning, Pediatric Hospitalist Sabeena Hubbard said there's only one thing you can do.

"Bundle up," said Hubbard. "Bundle up, is what I would recommend. Layers, and making sure all of their exposed body parts are covered."

Hubbard said with wind chills expected at -20 degrees F Tuesday morning, all it takes is 30 minutes for the frostbite to start nibbling.

She said the outcome is not a pleasant one.

"It's literal freezing of the fingertips, nose, body part," said Hubbard. "At that point, you can do some permanent nerve damage."

While parents are busy bundling up their children, Tippecanoe School Superintendent Scott Hanback said his crews will be busy doing something else.

"We're going to ask that our bus drivers go to their buses about 30 minutes early, just to make sure they're warmed up and ready to go," said Hanback.

Hanback said bus technicians will also be in early, should there be any issues.

He said with wind chills expected to be in the negative double digits, delays will be considered.

However, he said parents should be prepared to send their children to the bus stop, dressed for the cold temperatures.

Make sure to check our website regularly for any school delays.