Wet Weather Can Turn Even Mildly Cold Temperatures into Conditions for Hypothermia

It doesn't take temperatures below freezing for hypothermia to set in. Simply adding wet conditions to moderately cold temperatures is enough to make prime hypothermia weather. The body loses heat 25 times faster in water than in air of the same temperature. What's more, wet clothing extracts heat from the body as much as 240 times faster than dry clothing, so when working outdoors, it is critical to keep the body dry in cold temperatures.

The first line of defense is to have waterproof and/or windproof outer clothing available and be sure to put on the clothing prior to being exposed to wet or damp conditions. For inner clothing, the best choices are those made of wool or polypropylene since these materials retain warmth even when wet. Wear layers of clothing which can be removed on put back on depending on the level of physical activity. Being wet from perspiration is equally dangerous as being wet from the elements.

If you do not have adequate clothing to stay warm and dry, terminate exposure to the elements and get out of the wind and rain or snow. Once hypothermia sets in, it can cause mental confusion making taking action more difficult.