Community Corner

Vernon Emergency Officials Monitoring the Cold

The Vernon OEM has released cold weather tips.

With temperatures forecast to be in the teens during the day and in the single digits overnight - and potential wind chills dipping to below-zero factors through Friday, the Vernon Office of Emergency Management is monitoring the weather. 

Here are some cold-weather tips from the Vernon OEM and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Dress Warmly and Stay Dry

  • Adults and children should wear:
          — A hat
          — A scarf or knit mask to cover face and mouth
          — Sleeves that are snug at the wrist
          — Mittens (they are warmer than gloves)
          — Water-resistant coat and boots
          — Several layers of loose-fitting clothing 
  • Be sure the outer layer of your clothing is tightly woven, preferably wind resistant, to reduce body-heat loss caused by wind. Wool, silk, or polypropylene inner layers of clothing will hold more body heat than cotton. 
  • Stay dry — wet clothing chills the body rapidly. Excess perspiration will increase heat loss, so remove extra layers of clothing whenever you feel too warm. 
  • Avoid getting gasoline or alcohol on your skin while de-icing and fueling your car or using a snowblower. These materials in contact with the skin greatly increase heat loss from the body.
  • Do not ignore shivering. It’s an important first sign that the body is losing heat. Persistent shivering is a signal to return indoors.

Avoid Frostbite and Hypothermia

When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced.

Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.

Hypothermia is most likely to take place at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes.

Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.

Avoid Exertion

Cold weather puts an extra strain on the heart. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s advice about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold.

Otherwise, if you have to do heavy outdoor chores, dress warmly and work slowly. Remember, your body is already working hard just to stay warm, so don’t overdo it.

Wind chills

  • A wind speed of 10 mph with a 10-degree temperature can make it feel like minus-4. With a temperature of zero, it feels like minus-16. 
  • A wind speed of 20 mph makes the wind chill factors minus-9 and minus-22, respectively. 


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