Forum editorial: This cold spell is the real thing, so be very careful

The cold descending on the Red River Valley is serious stuff. The real thing. It can be dangerous for the uninitiated.

There are a lot of people in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area who are not familiar with the region's occasional visitation by wind-driven arctic air. The city has grown and has attracted residents from states where "cold" means a tad below 32 degrees F above zero; where wind chill is an alien concept; where plugging in cars means one has a hybrid electric car; where snow (if it ever does snow) comes down vertically and gently, not horizontally and fiercely, as it often does here.

So, if you are one of those people, please, heed weather warnings. Understand how quickly subzero wind can cause frostbite on exposed skin. Don't stray from the protection of a vehicle should you get stranded in open country.

Stay warm. Be smart. Be safe.

Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board.

Forum editorial: This cold spell is the real thing, so be very careful 20080117