Layer up for the cold snap on it’s way to Connecticut
With temperatures in Connecticut expected to drop down to the teens or even below zero with windchill factors later in the week, public safety agencies around the state are reminding residents to dress warmly if they venture outdoors.
But what exactly is behind the often repeated advice of dressing in layers when the mercury plummets?
Mostly it boils down to two main advantages — trapping dead air close to the body for insulation, and allowing someone to regulate their body temperature as they get colder or warmer outdoors.
For insulation, layers of loose-fitting and lightweight clothing trap layers of dead air between them, providing insulation from the cold, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy winter parkas filled with down or synthetic material work on the same principal, sealing a layer of air away from the cold. That works fine for walking or standing around in the cold, but as you run or exert yourself — say from sledding or shoveling snow — layers make it easier to shed outer articles of clothing to “avoid sweating and subsequent chill,” the weather service says.
Sweat is also why experts say to avoid cotton garments. “Once wet, cotton takes a long time to dry and will sap your heat,” the weather service says. That’s the reasoning behind a saying adopted by hiker: cotton kills. Instead, most base layers – shirts and long underwear meant to be the innermost layer of clothing – will be made out of synthetic material or wool.
Outer layers should be “tightly woven, water repellent, and hooded,” the weather service says. A hat will keep body heat from escaping at your head, while mittens are preferable over gloves for dealing with the cold. In extreme cold, “cover your mouth to protect your lungs,” the agency said.
In general, you should try to keep dry and out of the wind. That’s important because getting wet can dramatically increase the risk of hypothermia, even on a day when temperatures are cool, not cold, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition occurrs when someone’s body temperature falls below 95 degrees. It can cause confusion, memory loss, drowsiness and slurred speech. Those affected should seek medical attention, and get in a warm area where they can remove any wet or damp clothing.
Frostbite, another concern when the temperature plummets, often starts as redness or pain in affected areas of skin. Symptoms also include a white or grayish-yellow color to the skin, numbness, and “skin that feels unusually firm or waxy,” the CDC says. Frostbite usually affects the extremities — toes, the tip of the nose or ears — and should be treated by slowly warming the affected area.