Central Texas winter weather dressing tips: Layer up and stay warm

The combination of cold temperatures and wind in winter can be dangerous, even deadly, if you’re not properly dressed and prepared for the conditions.

The body loses heat in several ways: through evaporation when you sweat, respiration as you breathe, radiation as heat escapes from your body, conduction when you lie or sit on cold surfaces, and convection, which occurs when wind draws heat away from your skin.

Joanna Gildart and William Wimbish walk Feb. 15, 2021, through snow in East Austin's Mueller neighborhood. Though nothing like that snowfall is expected this week, the unpredictability of winter weather in Texas can raise residents' anxieties.

During winter, excessive loss of body heat can lead to hypothermia—a dangerously low body temperature—and frostbite, the freezing of skin and underlying tissues. Both conditions are serious and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.

According to the National Weather Service, hypothermia is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in winter. "In the United States, between 1,000 and 1,300 deaths from primary hypothermia are reported each year. Frostbite is less common in children and more common among winter sports enthusiasts, soldiers, outdoor workers, and people experiencing homelessness," says Amy Cowan, a Modern Pediatrics Nurse Practitioner.

Explaining wind chill

One way to determine whether outdoor conditions are reaching dangerously cold levels is by checking the wind chill index. This index uses a combination of wind speed and air temperature to show how cold it feels on the body.

If the temperature is 20 degrees and the wind speed is 15 mph, the wind chill makes it feel like 6 degrees. In other words, your body loses heat as quickly as it would on a calm day with an air temperature of 6 degrees.

The wind chill temperature refers to how cold it feels according to the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature.

What to wear, how to dress your kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a simple rule of thumb for dressing children in winter: put babies and kids in one more layer than an adult would wear in the same conditions.

Start with a base layer made of wool or polyester to wick away moisture. Add a fitted middle layer of fleece or wool for insulation. Finish with a waterproof, breathable outer jacket that allows for easy movement. Pairing this with gloves and a hat will help protect against snow, wind, and rain.

Another important reminder for parents: never buckle a child into a car seat while they’re wearing a bulky coat. Cowan notes that thick padding can compress during a car crash, creating extra space under the harness and increasing the risk that a child could slip through the straps. Instead, use the coat as a blanket and place over the harness, or put the child’s coat on backward after they’re securely buckled.

Cold weather protocol

When extreme cold hits, schools follow specific guidelines to adjust outdoor activities.

Austin Independent School District has set temperature rules to keep students safe during recess. If the wind chill is below 38 degrees, outdoor time is limited to 45 minutes. When the wind chill drops below 34 degrees, recess is reduced to 30 minutes. If the wind chill falls below 30 degrees, all recess activities are moved indoors.