Frostbite in minutes is a real risk from polar vortex wind chill

NEW YORK − Dangerous, freezing wind chills are expected over the weekend in the Northeast — so extreme that frostbite could occur within minutes for people outdoors in some locations.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for frigid wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero in parts of New England and the interior Northeast. Wind chill is how cold people feel ‌while outside, and it’s based on rate of heat loss from exposed skin by cold ‌temperatures and wind combining, according to the ‌weather service. In other words, wind makes it feel colder than it really is.

Forecasters have tied the dangerous cold to changes in the polar vortex. Daytime temperatures are expected to stay in the single ​digits. On top of that, strong winds are ‌expected across the area, though ⁠the Mid-Atlantic and parts of Appalachia could reach up to 60 mph.

The weather service has warned these conditions ‌are ripe for life-threatening hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin in less than an hour (and in just a matter of minutes in some areas with the coldest ‌wind chills).

To prepare, people have to bundle up and cover exposed skin if they have to go outside. Dressing in layers helps to better retain heat. People should also wear a hat, ‌face mask and gloves.

Hypothermia, ​frostbite ‌from extreme cold

Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature, caused when a person is exposed to extremely low temperatures for long periods of time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said ‌human bodies begin to lose heat faster than it’s produced when exposed to cold temperatures. Over time, people will use up stored energy, causing lower ​body temperatures.

When body temperature gets too low, it affects the brain, so people can’t move or think well. It’s especially dangerous because people might not know they’re experiencing hypothermia and can’t react to do something about ⁠it.

Frostbite often occurs first on extremities, like your fingers, toes ​and ears, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It causes pain, numbness, ⁠swelling, blisters and skin discoloration.

This article originally appeared on USA Today

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