INDIANAPOLIS — Whether you're heading out to dinner Friday night or running errands Saturday afternoon, one thing will be the same: It's going to feel like temperatures are below zero.
"You can go from getting frostbite over a couple of hours to frostbite in 15 to 20 minutes, sometimes even sooner than that," said Dr. Tyler Stepsis, who works in the emergency department at Eskenazi Hospital.
Just last weekend, the hospital system said around 20 patients came into its ER suffering from a cold-related injury. Most of them were treated for frostbite.
But despite some people's best efforts to cover their hands, feet, ears and toes, they can get frostbite if they're not careful.
"If you're wearing tennis shoes outside in wet conditions, making sure you change socks frequently, making sure you have a change of dry footwear because having wet footwear in the cold and especially in low wind chill temperatures, that's a recipe for frostbite as well," Stepsis said.
He said frostbite typically comes in stages and you must act fast before things go from bad to worse.
"The ears, the nose, the fingers, the toes will appear lighter than your normal skin color, and they'll feel numb or tingly or they won't feel right. You'll feel clumsier in that regard because they don't work as well," Stepsis said.
Stepsis suggests submerging the affected area in warm water to promote blood flow and prevent any further damage.
As for the forecast, temperatures are expected to be back above freezing early next week. Forecast highs are in the 40s starting Tuesday.