Virginia Beach, VA – Virginia may face a burst of winter-like cold entering Thanksgiving week, raising concerns about frostbite and hypothermia, according to updated guidance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Nov. 19 temperature outlook shows a strong pattern shift beginning November 25, with below-normal temperatures expected across the Mid-Atlantic through early December.
According to NOAA, the significant cooldown is tied to several atmospheric drivers, including La Niña, the Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the possibility of a rare late-November sudden stratospheric warming event. These combined factors may funnel unusually cold Arctic air into the North-Central and Eastern U.S., placing Virginia within a heightened frostbite-risk zone.
As families prepare for Thanksgiving travel, football games, parades, and early holiday shopping, health officials warn that frostbite and hypothermia can develop faster than residents may expect — especially with wind chills dipping lower than air temperatures.
Common frostbite signs 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 develop after rewarming
Ten key signs of hypothermia:
Shivering, slurred speech, shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion, memory loss, severe fatigue, stumbling, drowsiness, and — in severe cases — loss of consciousness. Infants may present with bright red, cold skin and unusually low energy.
NOAA recommends dressing in layers, covering exposed skin, and limiting time outdoors during the coldest periods of the holiday week. Anyone showing frostbite or hypothermia symptoms should seek immediate medical attention and warm affected areas using warm — not hot — water or gentle body heat.
