Published: January 16, 2009 11:13 am      

It’s really cold out there

Goshen residents awoke to one of the coldest days on record this morning. An air temperature of minus-21 degrees at 8:30 this morning had cars failing to start, schools canceled and people not wanting to leave their homes.

Surprisingly, the day is only the 14th coldest day on record according to the National Weather Service, with the lowest temperatures recorded on Jan. 25, 1922 and Dec. 28, 1924. Both days saw temperatures of minus-25 degrees.

Today’s weather did manage to set a record for the coldest Jan. 16. The former record was in 1972 with a low of minus-18 degrees.

The last time Goshen experienced temperatures this low was in January 1999, when it reached 20 below.

Wind chill adds a whole new bite to the morning’s frosty nature, recorded at nearly 40 degrees below zero in the early hours before dawn.

Now more than ever, drivers are encouraged to keep extra blankets and clothes in their vehicles as well as other emergency supplies.

Hope is on the way, however, with a new clipper system moving into the area by Saturday. Along with a possible 1 to 2 inches of snow, it will bring in warmer air that could increase the temperature into the 20-above-zero range.

The wind chill will still be an issue, however, with southerly winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour. Tonight the wind could keep it feeling like 13 to 23 below, and 5 to 15 below on Saturday morning.

Interurban Trolley buses are running on the hour this morning after having some delays caused by the cold, and should return to full service by the early afternoon.