With high temperatures predicted near the single digits this weekend, it’s important to dress properly for weather conditions and be able to recognize the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia.

Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf says frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color around exposed areas such as your face, fingers, and toes. Kempf shares how one should respond to frostbite, “There’s different degrees of frostbite just like there are burns, you’ll get the reddish discoloration. One thing you don’t want to do with frostbite is rub it because actually what it is, is it’s the water molecules in your skin and in the tissue that is frozen and that will actually tear it up. So you want to just put them under lukewarm water, not hot water, just lukewarm water to warm them up.”

Besides not massaging extremities it is also recommended not to use a heating pad. However, hypothermia happens when there is a drop in body temperature, and a temperature below 95 degrees is considered an emergency. Signs of hypothermia include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, memory loss, and slurred speech. Kempf advises those experiencing hypothermia to go to a warm room and warm the core of your body first: your chest, neck, head, and groin. You can read more on how to recognize and prevent frostbite and hypothermia by visiting here.