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Frigid temperatures have doctors advising to bundle up to avoid frostbite

SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The recent frigid temps have doctors advising not to stay outside with exposed skin for too long to avoid the ...

SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- The recent frigid temps have doctors advising not to stay outside with exposed skin for too long to avoid the risk of frostbite.

A concern for frostbite hasn't stopped some people from heading out into the frosty air. Those who brave the cold want to make sure to stay bundled up and get warm when possible.

One doctor warns that there's a mild form of frost bite you can expose yourself to if you're not careful.

Many people may be doing their best to avoid going out in the chilly weather,  unless you're a family on vacation from sunny Florida.

Erica Magallanes said "we came to visit my high school friend in Virginia, and so they wanted to see snow. So, she gave it to them. We got it."

Madison Magallanes, 12,  said "definitely really cold compared to Florida. We are not used to this weather, but we got used to it."

Gabriela Aleman, 13, said "I'm from Virginia, but even to me, this is really, really cold. It's bizarre."

One look at the forecast has doctors saying it's time to bundle up.

UPMC Pinnacle Memorial Hospital emergency physician Dr. Dan Hornyak said " these temperatures make it very likely that just short exposure will cause something called frost nip, which is a reversible kind of frostbite."

Meanwhile,  the frosty air even has the staff at Heritage Hills taking precautions to work on the slopes.

Heritage Hills Golf Resort  vice-president of Avalanche Express Don Beardsley said "we try to over staff a little bit, and run a 15-minute intermittent schedule. So, we get six or seven on the hill, six or seven in the warmth, and then run them every 15 minutes so they can stay warm."

Beardsley also makes sure not to leave his customers out in the cold.

"We have great outdoor enclosures that are well heated, and a great spot to kind of hang out. Come out there to do some snow tubing, and then come on inside for a bite to eat," Beardsley said.

"Throughout the course of the morning, we've seen folks coming, after having exposure for 30-40 minutes, with some frostbite. Any type of exposure to the wind or the cold, especially with some water exposure really increases your risks. It's very dangerous out there," Hornyak said.

Despite warnings, those who bundled up are prepared to battle the freezing temperatures and high winds.

"We came prepared. They wanted a winter vacation, we gave them a winter vacation," Erica Magallanes said.

"We're hitting kind of record lows in Florida right now, but we're in the 50s. So, it's going to be almost like summer going home after this," Erica Magallanes said.

 

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