The arctic weather was already interrupting air travel and preventing planned deliveries by the U.S. Postal Service, which is associated with the motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers.” By early Wednesday morning, the bitter conditions had been blamed for at least for a half-dozen deaths. When the radio host, Terry Meiners, remarked that the governor’s children would keep him up late because they would not have to rise for school in the morning, Bevin complained about the move by the school districts.<doc-sep>"Come on, now," Bevin told 840 WHAS radio host Terry Meiners. "There's no ice going with it or any snow. What happens to America. We're getting soft, Terry, we're getting soft."<doc-sep>Meteorologist Al Roker on Wednesday lashed out at Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) for refusing to cancel school to protect children from a so-called polar vortex that's sweeping most of the nation. During a radio interview on Tuesday, Bevin complained that children have become "soft" because school is cancelled too often for bad weather conditions. "There's no ice going with it or any snow," Bevin said. "What happens to America. We're getting soft, Terry, we're getting soft." On Wednesday, Roker explained the risks of frostbite and hypothermia. And then the famous weatherman tore into Bevin. "This nitwit governor in Kentucky, saying, 'Oh, we're weak,'" Roker complained on MSNBC. "These are kids who are going to be subzero windchills!" "No, cancel school!" he added. "Stop it. You know, adults, if they want to be out there -- these are our children. I'm glad you're not a teacher." Watch the video below from MSNBC.<doc-sep>With temperatures hitting just below zero this week — and with a wind chill that could make it feel as cold as negative 22 degrees — Kentuckians should prepare for the worst when it comes to the extreme cold. While Louisville doesn't exactly fall within the polar vortex, it's going to feel its effects. Going into Wednesday, temperatures will plummet to a freezing low of negative 1 degree with a 20 percent chance of snow showers in the evening. Louisville weather forecast:It'll feel like -20 degrees on Wednesday Here's what to know from the National Weather Service for dealing with the freezing cold temperatures: Will we experience the 'polar vortex'? The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of Earth’s poles, according to the National Weather Service. Many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, causing large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States. Brrrr! :'Life-threatening' Arctic blast to freeze nearly 200 million While many regions in the United States are getting hit harder than Louisville, the cold temperatures we are feeling are caused directly by the polar vortex. "The extremely cold temperatures we will feel are as a result of the polar vortex," NWS Louisville meteorologist Evan Webb said. The National Weather Service said there is no reason to be alarmed when you hear about the polar vortex, but you should be prepared for colder temperatures. How cold will it feel like? The wind chill is how cold it will actually feel when the wind is factored in. It's typically much lower than the normal temperature. “Once you get to a wind chill of negative 15 degrees, it'll take get 30 minutes to get frostbite on skin,” Webb said. “Once you get below negative 25 degrees, then it gets dangerous.” The windchill in Louisville is expected to hit somewhere between negative 10 degrees and negative 20 degrees on Wednesday. Here is a chart from the National Weather Service that shows how long you can stay outside before the cold affects you. Winter weather tips:8 things you can do to prepare for a polar vortex What's the coldest it's ever been in Kentucky? Some of the most brutal temperatures ever recorded in Kentucky happened in 1994 during a three-day outbreak of cold weather that also brought up to 20 inches of snow in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky's all-time record of negative 37 degrees (that's not the wind chill) was recorded in Shelbyville on Jan. 19, 1994. Louisville and Lexington also reported temperatures in the negative 20s and negative 30s. What are the symptoms of frostbite? Frostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's most common on the nose, fingers, cheeks and chin. Symptoms include numbness, cold skin, hard or waxy looking skin, blistering and grayish-yellow or red skin. What should I do during extremely cold weather? If you must go outdoors during extreme cold, dress in layers. Cover exposed skin to reduce your risk of frostbite or hypothermia. Try to seek shelter from the wind as much as possible while outside. Once inside, change into dry clothing immediately if you are wet. Understand and watch for frostbite and hypothermia. Read this:Polar vortex bears down on North as Deep South braces for snow What do I need in in a cold emergency? Jumper cables: Flares or reflective triangle are great extras Flares or reflective triangle are great extras Flashlights : Replace the batteries before the winter season starts and pack some extras : Replace the batteries before the winter season starts and pack some extras First-aid kit : Also check your purse or bag for essential medications : Also check your purse or bag for essential medications Baby, special needs gear : If you have a baby or family member with special needs, pack diapers and any special formula or food : If you have a baby or family member with special needs, pack diapers and any special formula or food Food : Stock non-perishable food such as canned food and a can opener, dry cereal and protein-rich foods like nuts and energy bars : Stock non-perishable food such as canned food and a can opener, dry cereal and protein-rich foods like nuts and energy bars Water : Have at least 1 gallon of water per person a day for at least three days : Have at least 1 gallon of water per person a day for at least three days Basic toolkit : Pliers, wrench, screwdriver : Pliers, wrench, screwdriver Pet supplies : Food and water : Food and water Radio : Battery or hand cranked : Battery or hand cranked Cat litter or sand : For better tire traction : For better tire traction Shovel : To dig out snow : To dig out snow Ice scraper : Even is you usually park in a garage, have one in the car : Even is you usually park in a garage, have one in the car Clothes : Make sure you dress for the weather in warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes for the cold : Make sure you dress for the weather in warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes for the cold Warmers : Pack extra for body, hand, feet : Pack extra for body, hand, feet Blankets or sleeping bags : If you get stranded in traffic on a lonely road, you'll be glad to have it. : If you get stranded in traffic on a lonely road, you'll be glad to have it. Charged cell phone: Keep a spare charger in your car as well. How should I prepare my home for cold weather? Check your pipes : Your pipes may be frozen. Water pipes on exterior walls and in places that are subject to cold — like in the basement, attic and under kitchen cabinets — freeze most often. Water expands as it freezes, causing pipes to burst. If they are frozen, first turn on the faucet.<doc-sep>
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, like many Republican leaders, believes that American children are too weak. His latest evidence: Some schools in his state have closed for the dangerously cold polar vortex winds that are currently scouring the midwest and pushing frigid air to states nearby. “Come on, now,” Bevin said to radio host Terry Meiners in an interview Tuesday, after the host had called the cold “serious business” in protest to Bevin’s complaint. “There’s no ice going with it or any snow. What happens to America. We’re getting soft, Terry, we’re getting soft.” Bevin did admit that it was better for schools to “err on the side of being safe,” but he maintained that the current way children were being raised softened them: I’m being only slightly facetious. But it does concern me a little bit that in America on this and any number of other fronts, we’re sending messages to our young people that if life is hard you can curl up in the fetal position—somewhere in a warm place—and wait till it stops being hard. And that just isn’t reality. It just isn’t. The cold, which has already claimed a number of lives, hit Kentucky with single-digit temperatures and threatens to dip just below zero degrees. Teachers and state political figures—including those in his own party—pushed back on Bevin’s comments, arguing that some students cannot afford clothes warm enough for sub-zero temperatures, and many would have to stand outside for a dangerously long time to wait for the bus. And the National Weather Service did predict some snow in Kentucky that could create dangerous road conditions. Bevin, not a stranger to controversy, came under fire last year for saying teachers had left “hundreds of thousands” of children vulnerable to sexual assault and drugs by going on strike. “I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today, a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them,” Bevin told reporters. (He later apologized for his comment.) In August, he compared state workers opposing his public pension reform to drowning victims, saying on a conservative talk show that he felt like he was trying to save someone who was struggling against him. “You just need to knock them out and drag them to shore,” he said. “It’s for their own good.” And in 2017, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported that the governor blocked hundreds of accounts (many of which were held by his constituents) from interacting with his official Facebook and Twitter pages because he did not like what they were saying.