Dress in layers, cover exposed skin, get out of the wind, and change out of wet clothes at once. Act on the first signs of frostbite or hypothermia.
Why cold is dangerous
Combined with wind, arctic air can produce dangerously cold wind chill values. Areas most prone to frostbite are uncovered skin and the extremities such as hands and feet. Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.
Going outside
Dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and seek shelter from the wind. Change into dry clothing as soon as you are inside if you are wet.
Wind chill and how fast frostbite sets in
Wind chill is how cold the air feels on exposed skin once wind is added to the temperature. The National Weather Service wind chill chart shows how quickly frostbite can set in: at 0 degrees F with a 15 mph wind, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in about 30 minutes. The colder the wind chill, the less time you have, so cover your face, ears, hands and feet and limit time outside during a wind chill warning or advisory.
Frostbite
Ready.gov lists numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin and firm or waxy skin as signs. It says to go to a warm room, soak in warm water and use body heat to warm the area, and not to massage it or use a heating pad.
Hypothermia
Ready.gov says a temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency. Signs are shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness. Go to a warm room, warm the center of the body first (chest, neck, head and groin), and keep dry and wrapped in warm blankets, including the head and neck.
Check your own location
See current official alerts and the impact for your ZIP code.
Sources
Reviewed by the Storm Incoming editorial team on October 26, 2026. Follow local emergency officials if their instructions differ.