Dangerous deep freeze as temps dive

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Single digit temperatures have the Miami Valley in a deep freeze, putting the region under a wind chill advisory through 10 a.m. Tuesday.

At 7 a.m there were 110 schools, churches, and businesses listed as either opening late or closed for the day.

Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist, Brian Davis, expects a high temperature of only 12 degrees Tuesday.  Add in the wind chill and it will feel well below zero.

"We're talking about a wind chill anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees below zero," said Davis.  "These are dangerous weather conditions overnight and be sure to dress in layers to help keep you warm."

Brian says lows will be in the single digits for the next couple of mornings.  We should reach a whopping 20 degrees on Wednesday.

Also, keep a close eye on School Alert as several local school districts are delaying school Tuesday morning to avoid having children wait at the bus stop in frigid temperatures.

We caught up with a mom from Dayton and she worries about the cold.

"Its extremely cold and I think about the kids that have to walk to school.  Fortunately my son doesn't, but he does have to ride and wait for the bus," said Jennifer Johnson, Dayton parent.  "Really just make sure that they have hats and gloves on and tell them to keep moving, you know, to stay warm."

The National Safety Council says the best way to prepare for this type of weather is to dress in warm layered clothing, eat a well-balanced diet and drink a lot of warm, caffeine-free beverages to maintain your body temperature.  Don't drink alcoholic beverages and always take off wet clothing immediately.

The NSC says the first signs of frostbite include white, waxy patches on the skin, oftentimes on your fingers or toes.  The affected areas will be numb and very cold to the touch.  Click here for a great information sheet from the NSC with more signs and an action plan should you be worried you or someone else has frostbite or hypothermia.

The other worry overnight is your car.  AAA says the cold takes a toll on battery power and auto mechanics suggest you check your tire pressure so that your car performs at its best.

And, we checked with Dayton, Power and Light Monday night.  There were scattered reports of outages Monday evening.  About 600 were reported around 9:30 pm, mostly in West Carrollton, Miamisburg and Xenia.

DP&L says if there is an outage at your home, you should assume any fallen wires are live and stay away from them.  Also, it says to be sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home.

2 NEWS and WDTN.com are your source for all things weather related.  Stay with us online 24/7 and on the air this evening at 5 p.m., tonight at 10:00 on Dayton's CW, and on 2 NEWS at 11:00.  Then, our morning coverage begins on 2 NEWS Today at 4:30 am.