Dangerous Colorado wind chills arrive soon. Here's how to protect yourself against freezing temperatures.
A dangerously cold Colorado weekend is approaching with arctic air and wind chills as cold as 30 degrees below zero. The wind chill temperature is how cold people feel while outside. Wind chill (or the "feels-like" temperature) is the combination of the air temperature and the wind.
Our bodies naturally produce heat, but as the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, bringing down our temperature. It is a similar process for when you blow on a hot bowl of soup to cool it down. For example, if it's 20 degrees and there's a strong 20 mph wind it will blow away that natural heat making it feel like its 4 degrees.
Knowing the wind chill is important for staying safe outside because lower wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin. Wet clothing results in much faster heat loss from your body so it's important to stay dry.
The biggest factor is covering all exposed skin, especially on the face when there is a low and dangerous wind chill, like what we are expecting this weekend.
At least half of your body heat is lost if your head is not covered. Adding extra layers and wind-resistant outer shells can help seal in warmth.