Arctic Timeline: Wind Chill May Hit -15 in Ellicott City

Brace yourself for the bitter cold.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for Howard County until 6 p.m. Tuesday and predicts temperatures may dip to what feels as cold as -15 Tuesday night.

NWS warns that the extreme cold may cause frostbite and hypothermia, and advises residents, "If you must venture outdoors... make sure you wear a hat and gloves."

• Monday morning - Temperatures to reach as high as the mid-40s, with possible rain.
• Monday afternoon - The cold front begins to enter the area as temperatures drop into the low-30s and wind gusts between 20 to 30 mph sweep through the area.
  
• Monday night into Tuesday morning -  Bitter cold begins. The high is expected to reach about 13 degrees during the night as wind chill values drop to as low as 14 below zero
  
• Tuesday - Cold temps continue with a highs predicted around 13 degrees and wind chill values as low as 17 below. Wind gusts expected between 20 to 35 mph.
• Tuesday night - Nine degree low expected, with wind chill about 5 below zero.
  
• Wednesday - The freeze begins to break as temperatures are expected to rise into the upper 20s with nighttime lows in the low 20s.
  
• Thursday - We're expected to finally make it out of the freeze on Thursday, when temperatures rise to above 32 for the first time since Monday.