As a once-in-a-generation winter storm edges closer to huge parts of the US, emergency officials are urging Americans not to shrug it off as “just another cold snap.”
This system isn’t ordinary winter weather — and underestimating it could prove deadly.
Why Hypothermia Is More Than Feeling Cold
Spending even a short amount of time outside without proper protection in freezing temperatures can trigger frostbite, which may then spiral into hypothermia.
This isn’t about discomfort. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that begins when the body’s core temperature drops below 95°F, meaning it’s losing heat faster than it can replace it.
Once that balance is broken, the body’s internal thermostat — a finely tuned survival system — starts to fail.
The Body’s Desperate Fight to Stay Alive
In brutal cold, the body launches into survival mode.
Blood is redirected away from hands, feet and skin so it can protect the heart, lungs and brain.
That sacrifice buys time, but it comes at a cost.
This chain reaction can begin in as little as 30 minutes in the temperatures forecast for the weekend, particularly with wind, moisture or exhaustion involved.
A Storm Affecting Half the Country
More than 200 million Americans are currently under winter storm advisories.
By Sunday, meteorologists warn that over half of the continental US could be dealing with snow, sleet or freezing rain at the same time.
The East Coast is expected to plunge into single-digit temperatures overnight, while the upper Midwest could see readings drop to a bone-chilling minus 39°F.
Empty Shelves and Rising Anxiety
Across the country, panic buying has stripped grocery stores bare as millions prepare for dangerous travel conditions and snowfall that could reach 18 inches in some regions.
Southern states, where extreme winter weather is rare, are bracing for widespread power outages and school closures as infrastructure faces conditions it isn’t built to handle.
How Fast Cold Exposure Becomes Dangerous
Dr Alina Mitina, an emergency room physician in New Jersey, previously warned that even healthy, well-dressed adults should limit time outdoors.
Taking shelter every 20 to 30 minutes is advised, she says.
For people who are vulnerable or underdressed, serious danger can arrive in as little as 10 to 15 minutes.
The Early Warning Signs People Miss
Hypothermia often starts quietly. Wind and damp air strip warmth from the skin, while blood vessels in the hands and feet clamp down in a process called vasoconstriction.
The result is pale, numb extremities and intense shivering as muscles burn energy in a frantic attempt to generate heat.
This is mild hypothermia, when core temperature dips between 90 and 95°F.
You’re still conscious — but coordination slips, speech becomes slurred and even simple tasks feel clumsy.
Some people experience an odd urge to urinate as the body adjusts blood volume.
When There’s Still Time to Turn Back
This stage is the critical window for survival. Getting warm now can reverse the damage.
But lingering too long allows prolonged blood vessel constriction to injure tissue, increasing the risk of frostbite and, in extreme cases, amputation.
Fail to intervene, and the body tumbles into far more dangerous territory.
The Point Where the Body Starts to Shut Down
As core temperature drops into the high-to-mid-80s, shivering stops — a terrifying signal that the body’s internal furnace is running out of fuel.
Confusion and exhaustion take over. Judgment falters.
Some people make the fatal mistake known as paradoxical undressing, removing clothing because the brain misfires and falsely senses overheating.
At this point, immediate medical care becomes essential.
Severe Hypothermia and the Fight for Survival
Below 82°F, the body enters severe hypothermia.
The heart slows dangerously, becoming vulnerable to lethal rhythm disturbances like ventricular fibrillation.
The brain, starved of warm oxygenated blood, begins to fail.
Breathing grows shallow and irregular.
Lactic acid floods the bloodstream as oxygen deprivation poisons organs from the inside.
Wet Clothes and Exhaustion Make It Worse
Being wet accelerates heat loss by as much as 25 times.
Fatigue drains the body’s remaining energy reserves, speeding the descent toward unconsciousness and collapse.
The colder the body becomes, the harder it is to reverse the process.
When the Body Looks Lifeless
At around 75°F or lower, a hypothermic person may appear clinically dead.
Pulse, breathing and reflexes can become nearly undetectable.
But cold can also offer a strange form of protection.
The Reflex That Can Save a Life
In extreme cases, the body’s diving reflex may activate.
Triggered by cold exposure to the face and lack of breathing, it slows the heart to a crawl and slashes blood flow to non-essential tissues.
This dramatically lowers metabolism, reducing the brain’s need for oxygen and placing the body into a suspended-animation-like state.
Why Doctors Don’t Give Up Too Soon
Because of this protective effect, resuscitation must continue while a hypothermia patient is actively rewarmed.
Even after prolonged cardiac arrest, full neurological recovery is sometimes possible when the body has been profoundly cold.
A Silent Killer With a Heavy Toll
Hypothermia claims between 1,000 and more than 3,000 lives in the US every year.
CDC data shows 1,024 deaths in 2023 alone, with estimates reaching as high as 3,500 the year before.
As this Arctic blast barrels toward New Jersey and beyond, understanding how fast cold can turn deadly may be the difference between life and death.
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn