With subzero wind chill values threatening again today and returning for the weekend, it can be dangerous to spend extended amounts of time outside.

Guthrie County Public Health Coordinator Jotham Arber says frostbite can occur quickly in freezing temperatures. “When you go outside in temperatures that are below 32 degrees fahrenheit, your blood vessels constrict and when your blood is not there in your veins, your skin begins to decay. It can become permanently damaged if that blood is not restored.”

Additionally, Arber says hypothermia can develop without you even noticing. “What usually happens is we’re outside and we think we’re doing okay, because we don’t feel as bad as we think we would with something like hypothermia. But while we’re outside, the longer we’re exposed the easier it is for us to end up with conditions that can lead to hospitalization, like hypothermia.”

Arber advises limiting the amount of time you spend outdoors in freezing temperatures and reducing the amount of skin exposed to the elements.