Really Cold Weather | Video

Alex Hagan | 1/31/2013

Wind chills dropped down to forty below in many places, so it`s been important to take all the necessary steps to stay warm. However many people are forced to be outside in this weather. This winter has been, well, a roller coaster ride of temperatures. But today may have been the coldest day in the past two years. After talking with some Bismarck residents, it`s just another typical winter day.

"Cold." There`s no other word for a day like today. With wind chills the lowest they`ve been all year. Spending the day outside is tough, especially if you`re someone like Aaron Anderson who drives a truck for a living.

"Just try to tough it out and make do," he said.

Scott Boehm is a letter carrier for the post office. He usually delivers mail to more than 400 houses a day. The majority of his time is spent outside and that can be dangerous if he doesn`t take the necessary precautions.

"Some people actually walk up to six and half hours a day in the weather like this," he said.

Boehm can`t keep his car running, so the mail won`t be stolen. He says it`s just a matter of keeping busy to stay warm. "Keep moving. The more you stand still, the colder you get."

With wind chills this low, exposing skin can be dangerous. Frostbite can occur within 10 minutes. Doctors say if you can`t stay indoors, make sure to bundle up.

"Cover everything up as much as possible and remain exposed as little as possible is the best possible idea," said Tom Thorson, MD with Sanford Health.

However, a cold windy day does mean good business for plumbers. Furnaces go down and pipes freeze.

"When there`s wind behind it, it seems to pull in everywhere and if any pipes are near outside walls, they tend to freeze up," said Gardell Jochim with Northern Plains Plumbing.

While plumbers were out in the cold fixing pipes, Jochim says it`s an easy problem to prevent. "Leave your cabinet doors open, Vanity cabinets, leave them open under the kitchen sink."

Today`s weather may stand out among the rest, but for Boehm, it`s just another North Dakota winter day. "North Dakota does have the four seasons that we do have to deal with. And you get tougher and tougher as your career goes along, you learn to adapt to all weather conditions."

But on a day like this, staying inside may be the best thing to do.

Thorson says if you do think you have frostbite, re-warm your hands in body temperature water for about 15 to 30 minutes. Also rest that particular area for period time before going out in the cold weather.

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