Louisville, KY – Kentucky may face a stretch of colder-than-normal conditions heading into Thanksgiving week, raising the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, according to updated projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Nov. 19 climate outlook highlights a major pattern shift beginning November 25, with cold air likely spreading across the Ohio Valley and eastern half of the U.S. through early December.
According to NOAA, the incoming cold pattern is influenced by the ongoing La Niña cycle, the Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the possibility of a rare late-November sudden stratospheric warming event. These factors may help channel Arctic air deep into the North-Central and Eastern U.S., positioning Kentucky within the below-normal temperature zone.
As holiday travel surges, families gather outdoors, and shoppers line up for early sales, state health officials warn that frostbite and hypothermia can develop more quickly than many residents realize — especially when wind chills drop below freezing.
Key frostbite symptoms include:
• Numbness or loss of feeling
• Tingling or prickling sensations
• Cold, hard, waxy-looking skin
• Skin discoloration (red, white, blue, gray, or purple)
• Blisters that may appear after rewarming
Ten signs of hypothermia:
Shivering, slurred speech, shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion, memory loss, severe fatigue, stumbling or clumsiness, drowsiness, and — in severe cases — loss of consciousness. Infants may show bright red, cold skin and unusually low energy.
NOAA advises Kentuckians to bundle in layers, protect exposed skin, and limit time outdoors during the coldest periods of the holiday week. Anyone showing frostbite or hypothermia symptoms should seek immediate medical care and begin warming the affected areas using warm — not hot — water or gentle body heat.
