VERY COLD WEATHER CAN BE A HEALTH HAZARD. HOWEVER BY DRESSING
PROPERLY...YOU CAN SAFELY SPEND TIME OUTDOORS ENJOYING WHAT THE
AREA HAS TO OFFER IN THE FORM OF WINTER RECREATION...WHETHER IT BE
SKIING...SNOWMOBILING...ICE SKATING...OR JUST TAKING IN THE WINTER
SCENERY. 

VERY COLD TEMPERATURES CAN ROB YOUR BODY OF LIFE SUSTAINING
WARMTH...ESPECIALLY WHEN COMBINED WITH A STRONG WIND. THE
COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND IS KNOWN AS THE WIND
CHILL. THE WIND CHILL IS BASED ON THE RATE OF HEAT LOSS FROM EXPOSED
SKIN. AS THE WIND SPEED INCREASES...THE RATE OF HEAT LOSS FROM YOUR
BODY ALSO INCREASES. A TEMPERATURE OF 20 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO WITH A
WIND CAN FEEL LIKE A BITTER COLD 6 DEGREES WHEN THE WIND BLOWS 
AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

FROSTBITE CAN OCCUR WHEN YOUR FINGERS...CHEEKS...EARS...TOES...OR
EVEN THE TIP OF YOUR NOSE IS EXPOSED TO SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES
FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.  IF ANY PORTION OF YOUR BODY BECOMES
NUMB DUE TO THE COLD...GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY AND SLOWLY WARM THE
AFFECTED AREA TO AVOID TISSUE OR NERVE DAMAGE.

HYPOTHERMIA IS POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. THIS HEALTH
HAZARD IS DEFINED AS THE LOWERING OF THE BODY TEMPERATURE BELOW 95
DEGREES. WARNING SIGNS OF HYPOTHERMIA INCLUDE UNCONTROLLABLE
SHIVERING...MEMORY LOSS...SLURRED SPEECH...AND DISORIENTATION. 
IF NOT TREATED IMMEDIATELY BY KEEPING THE PERSON WARM AND SEEKING
MEDICAL HELP...HYPOTHERMIA CAN BE FATAL.

HYPOTHERMIA CAN AFFECT ANYONE...BUT THE ELDERLY ARE THE MOST
SUSCEPTIBLE. OVER HALF THE FATALITIES DUE TO EXPOSURE FROM THE COLD
OCCUR TO PEOPLE OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE. YOUNG CHILDREN ARE ALSO
SUSCEPTIBLE.

BE SURE TO DRESS PROPERLY FOR THE COLD. ALWAYS WEAR SEVERAL LAYERS
OF WARM...LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING.  THESE LAYERS HELP TO RETAIN YOUR
BODY HEAT BETTER THAN ONE HEAVY LAYER...AND THEY CAN BE REMOVED
TO AVOID PERSPIRATION AND SUBSEQUENT CHILL. THE OUTER LAYER OF
CLOTHES SHOULD ALSO BE WATER REPELLENT.

DON/T FORGET TO WEAR A HAT SINCE A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BODY HEAT
OCCURS THROUGH YOUR HEAD. ALSO...MITTENS ARE BETTER THAN GLOVES AT
PROTECTING YOUR FINGERS FROM THE EXTREME COLD.