Hey, has anyone else noticed that the weather has been kind of chilly these past few days? Why hasn't this made the news?

It occurred to me while running in shorts and a T-shirt the other morning that the temperature may have dipped a few degrees because my eyelids started to freeze shut. Soon my fingers were turning blue and I could no longer feel my nose. What was going on?

Later in the day, while chopping wood, same thing — before long I was shivering uncontrollably and could barely hold the maul.

You'd think in this day and age there would be some kind of warning about cold weather and all that wind — the WIND! — so that people could prepare adequately before venturing outdoors. You know, maybe a story in the newspaper or on TV.

Likewise, people in stores, the office, the coffee shop — nobody seems to have had the slightest idea about this brutal cold! They're all oblivious!

I certainly would have worn a few extra layers and put on a hat, or perhaps even stayed indoors, if I only realized what we were in for. Who knew?

Wouldn't you agree it's pretty shameful that more meteorologists haven't been tracking these Arctic blasts as they roar down from the North Pole, and doctors haven't been advising people on ways to avoid frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related afflictions?

Maybe I'm wrong, but somebody should be spreading the word that it's life-threatening even to TALK when you're out in sub-zero wind chill conditions. One breath of super-frigid air gets into your lungs and BOOM! Down you go without ever knowing what hit you.

You know what I wish? I wish bundled-up TV reporters would deliver the forecast while wind-driven snow whipped them in the face so that we viewers could understand what being near-frozen really feels like. I also fervently hope they would think up clever ways to demonstrate the effects of bitter cold, say by tossing a cupful of boiling water in the air and watching it instantly turn into snow.

I additionally would appreciate it if they would spend more time explaining what the wind-chill factor means. I hear that term bandied about often, but nobody bothers to break it down into easy-to-comprehend terms. As I understand it, the harder it blows, the colder you feel. At least I'm pretty sure that's what happens.

Not to brag or anything, but I managed to figure out all by myself that people need to put on warm clothes in this kind of weather, thank you very much. Again: Why aren't people reminding us to do this?

While I'm on the subject, even though scorching weather is months away I bet the same thing will happen during the season's first heat wave. We'll all be sweating bullets, yet nobody will even mention the oppressive conditions, let alone advise people to wear light clothing, stay in the shade and drink plenty of water.

Come on, people: We need more talk about the weather!