Charlotte, NC – North Carolina may face an early surge of winter cold 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 outlook outlines a significant pattern shift beginning November 25, with colder-than-normal temperatures increasingly likely into early December.
According to NOAA, several atmospheric factors are driving the cold push, including La Niña, the Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the potential for a rare late-November sudden stratospheric warming event. Combined, these influences may channel colder Arctic air into the North-Central and Eastern U.S., placing North Carolina in a potentially colder-than-normal stretch to begin the holiday season.
As residents prepare for outdoor travel, football games, parades, and early holiday shopping, state health officials caution that frostbite and hypothermia can develop faster than many expect — especially if wind chills dip lower than forecast temperatures.
Common 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 key 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 residents to bundle in layers, protect exposed skin, and limit time outdoors during the coldest hours of the holiday week. Anyone showing frostbite or hypothermia symptoms should seek immediate medical care and begin warming with warm (not hot) water or gentle body heat.
