LANSING, Mich. — As temperatures drop below zero people are at a high risk of getting hypothermia or frostbite.
When the wind chill is zero to 15 degrees below zero it only takes about half an hour or an hour for exposed skin to get frost bite.
That time is cut in half when the wind chill is between negative 15 and thirty degrees below zero.
It takes less than 10 to 15 minutes to get frost bite when the wind chill is negative 30 to 50 degrees below zero.
Hypothermia is nothing to mess with either.
Paramedics say hypothermia can happen when people simply underestimate how cold it really is and don't bundle up enough or stay outside too long.
Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, slurred speech, and sudden confusion.
If someone has hypothermia call 9-1-1.
Then, get the affected person into a warm space, but don't do anything drastic like taking them from extreme cold into extreme heat.
If their clothes are wet get them into dry ones and make sure to have them drink plenty of water.
