From NPR News in Washington, I am Barbara Klein.A life threatening wind chill is gripping states in the northern and central US.It is -21 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.Tulsa, Oklahoma faces wind chills tonight of -10 to -20 degrees.Authorities in nearly half the country are warning residents to take precautions.Chicago's Emergency Management Director Gary Schenkel is among them."These cold temperatures can cause frost-bite and hazardous situation within minutes.The elderly, the very young and the disabled can be especially affected by extreme weather."Some areas will see temperatures 30 to 50 degrees colder than average.2014 is getting off to a dry start in Californiawhich depends heavily on winter rain and snow fall to fill reservoirs that supply farms and cities.NPR's Craig Ziegler reportsthis is on top of last year which is one of California's driest on record.The 2013 moisture totals are alarming in California.Los Angeles will normally get about 14 inches of rain, Oakland about 22 inchesbut both cities for instance received less than 4 the entire year.State Drought Manager Bill Croyle saysthe situation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is even worse.This is really historic dry year for California.In Northern Sierras is the driest since records began in 1905.Like the rest of the west, California cities and farms depend on melting snows in spring to fill reservoirs
