With Punxsutawney Phil making his prediction for the winter, make sure you know how to stay warm when venturing out in the cold. Here are some tips to protect yourself and your health:
- Dress in layers and stay dry. Wear hats, scarves, and water-repellent coats. Wear mittens instead of gloves; they’ll keep your hands warmer.
- Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth.
- Don’t overdue do it. Stretch before you go outside. Take your time while shoveling snow or pushing a car. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. And walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks!
- Wind Chill makes you colder faster, as the wind carries away heat from the body. Make sure small children stay warm - especially babies. Babies will get colder much faster than adults.
- Children lose body heat faster than adults, so they can get frostbite faster.
- Frostbite is frozen body tissue, usually skin. It affects the extremities first: fingers, toes, ears, and the tip of the nose. The skin might lose feeling, or look white, pale, hard or waxy. As the area thaws, skin may turn red, blue or purple. Skin can also swell or blister. The victim may also feel tingling, burning or severe pain as the frostbitten tissue thaws.
- Hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) is a life-threatening condition. Make sure small children – especially babies – stay warm. Babies will get colder much faster than adults. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected:
- Get to a warm location.
- Remove wet clothing.
- Put on dry clothes and wrap entire body in a blanket.
- Warm the center of the body first.
- Drink warm non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated beverages.
- Get medical help as soon as possible.
Learn how to prepare for the winter by visiting the Winter Weather page of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
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