Winter safety concerns regarding
hypothermia and frostbite
Hypothermia and Frostbite are preventable by dressing appropriately for outdoor activities and recognizing the initial warning signs. See the weather cancellation policy for details on what weather conditions will necessitate cancellation.
Hypothermia is the lowering of the body core temperature that can result in the following physical effects:
98.6 degrees F - normal temperature
below 96 degrees F - muscle coordination deteriorates, shivering increases
below 93 degrees F - violet shivering, loss of ability to move muscles and to reason
below 87 degrees F - lose consciousness
below 75 degrees F - death
Warning signs include: uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. Medical care should be sought if person' temperature is below 95 degrees F.
Frostbite is the formation of actual ice crystal under the skin. Usually effects exposed areas and extremities first. It appears as grayish or yellow-white spots on the skin.