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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
408 AM EDT Thu Oct 29 2026
...Winter Weather Preparedness Week - Part Four...
The National Weather Service has declared the week of October 26
to October 30 as Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The following
is
part 4 of a 5-part series of informational statements.
Part 4 - Frostbite and Hypothermia
The National Weather Service issues Wind Chill Warnings when the
combined effects of wind and temperature feel like 25 below zero
in southern New England.
Frostbite is a condition in which the body tissue actually
freezes. The most susceptible areas for frostbite include the
fingers, toes, nose and ear lobes.
Hypothermia develops when the body loses heat faster than it can
produce it. Warning signs start with shivering and then proceed
to include memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred
speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. At this point
immediate attention is necessary, which includes warming the
person properly.
Temperatures do not have to be below freezing for hypothermia to
develop. It can develop in elderly people in a cool room with
few, if any, warning signs.
In a hypothermic person, cold blood is concentrated in the
extremities. If these extremities are warmed too quickly, the
cold blood will be released into the central core of the body,
possibly lowering the central core temperature to a fatal level.
Use the following steps to raise the core temperature of a
hypothermic person.
Get the person into dry clothing if their clothes are wet. Put
on additional clothing to warm the head and trunk such as a hat
and vest. Wrap the person in a warm blanket and be sure that
their head and neck are covered. Do not cover their extremities.
Give the person warm liquids to drink, but no alcohol, drugs or
coffee. Seek immediate medical attention.
$$
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