The chill is back in the air and that can only mean one thing: winter is right around the corner. When cold weather snow and ice hits, you need to be prepared. Lucky for you, I am here to tell you how to prepare for the upcoming inclement weather.

First of all, if you were at the Saint Thomas Aquinas vs Bishop Miege game, you will know how cold outside. But the question is: were you properly prepared? When you are outside in cold weather, you need to have multiple layers starting with a nice base layer such as a long-john shirt. From there you can wear a long sleeve shirt and then a nice coat or jacket. If it is very cold, I would recommend wearing a sweatshirt with all of your layers as well. For the lower half of your body, I recommend wearing long john bottoms and sweatpants. If it is very cold, throw on a pair of snow pants.

Now for the parts of our body that get cold easiest: our hands, feet, and face. For your feet, there is a very common misconception. More socks do not equal more warmth. In fact, wearing multiple pairs of socks restricts blood flow to your feet, causing them to get cold. Instead, wear one pair of nice warm socks such as wool socks and a pair of sturdy shoes or boots. For your hands, wear a nice pair of gloves and for your face, a stocking cap, earmuffs, scarf, and a ski mask are always good things to have.

If you ever feel extremely cold, get inside and warm up as soon as possible. Being cold is uncomfortable, but it is also very dangerous. Being too cold can cause hypothermia. Hypothermia is caused when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat. If you are excessively shivering, feeling drowsy, confused, and just don’t feel right, you need to warm up as soon as possible. When warming up, you should never rapidly increase your body temperature. For example, if you are hypothermic, do not get into a hot shower because it will cause you to go into shock. Instead, warm up gradually next to a heater or under warm blankets.

Remember to dress properly and keep warm. If you wipe out on your sled, take a picture, then go warm up. Be smart and safe out in winter weather, but enjoy it and have fun because playing in a little snow is always fun!