LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The upcoming winter storm is expected to bring wind chills of up to negative 20 degrees to the Kentuckiana area.
Officials say temperatures may stay below freezing through Christmas and into early next week. Exposed skin could get frostbite in as little as 10 minutes under these conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
Health officials are urging everyone to bundle up and wear tons of layers this week.
While it may be tempting to go outside and salt your sidewalks and driveways, doctors say protecting yourself and wearing multiple layers is important. Wearing more than 1 layer could save you from making a trip to the ER.
Officials say hypothermia and frostbite should be taken seriously as they are both life-threatening, so bundling up in hats and gloves is the best way to stay safe.
"Hands and feet, frostbite injuries. You could lose a finger, a toe," Dr. Martin Heucker, a ER physician with UofL Health, said. "You should be very careful -- wearing gloves, extra socks all that. But then there is hypothermia, which you hear about, and that's when your whole body becomes cold and it can become life-threatening and often is during the winter time."
If your kids want to play outside and they feel symptoms of numbness in their hands, then it's best for them to come inside.
If you experience hypothermia or severe frostbite, doctors say to come to the ER immediately.
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