LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Some people will have no choice but to be outside in the cold and you are going to want to bundle you or your kids up to stay warm.
However there is a balance to wearing too much or too little.
"What is essential for people to realize is that cotton is actually evil when it comes to outdoors activities so what is really important to have a silk synthetic or a merino wool which help wick moisture well and transfer moisture from your skin to the top of the material," Meghan Hagedorn from Quest Outdoors said.
Too much or too little is relative to the person. You should wear as much as you feel will keep you warm, but not too hot to make you sweat, which will then get cold and make you colder.
Hagedorn says that less is more with the appropriate technology when it comes to outdoor clothing.
That goes for socks too. She says you shouldn't double up on socks but go with one pair of good socks. Doubling up can also cut off circulation to your feet and make you cold that way too.
"I believe there is one item that you could purchase for weather around Louisville, Kentucky, it would be a down jacket. Down regulates your body temperatures really well and because of the thickness of it, it blocks the wind nicely," Hagedorn said.
Down vests can be a little expensive but Hagedorn says it will last for a long time, but if you are looking for a slightly cheaper alternative, there are down vests as well.
Even before the forecast for the coldest weather of season Louisville Water has planned to do their "Tag it" campaign in early January. The campaign is aimed at pushing home owners to find, mark, and know how to turn off their main water valve in case of an emergency.
"You should know the location of this valve any time of year. If you are going away for an extended period of time, if you are having work done on your house but especially during cold weather. If you have a pipe that bursts and you stop this valve you can stop the mess very quickly," Kelley Dearing Smith, the Louisville Water Communications & Government Relations Director, said.
Dearing Smith said they received hundreds of calls in 2014 from residents who thought that it was the water company's responsibility to shut off the water.
She says prevention is important too and that during the overnight to leave a slow stream of cold water running through your faucets.
"The other thing you want to look at is, do you have a faucet that is on the outside of the house. Make sure pipes are wrapped, you can go to your local hardware store to do that and you can leave your cabinet doors open," Dearing Smith said.
With wind chills expected to be well below zero, we talked with the Kentucky Humane Society about what to look out for, for your pets and they stressed that if it is cold for you, it is cold for them and to really monitor your pets when they are outside.
"The signs for hypothermia are a lot like humans where it is paleness, their gums will get pale, their body slows down, they become lethargic, and not responsive," Andrea Blair, the PR Marketing Director for the Kentucky Humane Society, said.
If that happens, you need to warm them up as soon as possible and seek medical attention. There is no set time frame for how long it is acceptable to leave your pet outdoors. It varies based on size, weight, and age.
If you see an animal that you believe is being neglected you can call MetroSafe or the Louisville Metro Animal Services. They say the biggest mistake people make is thinking their fur is a protector from the cold.
"A lot of cases it is educational on the owner's part. We will go out and take a look at the situation. A lot of times people leave their dogs out for too long and they are just not aware," Michael McMichael, Sergeant Louisville Metro Animal Services, said.
