SEATTLE — With sub-freezing temperatures descending across western Washington, frostbite is a major concern for people who are outside for any length of time.
Frostbite occurs when a person's skin and the body tissue beneath the surface become frozen. Frostbite most frequently impacts "exposed body tissue where blood circulation may be limited," according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The face, fingers, toes and ears are most susceptible to frostbite.
Several counties have activated cold weather protocols to increase shelter and warming space for people who are unhoused.
While people may want to take advantage of fresh snow in the Cascades to ski or snowboard, temperatures on the mountain passes are down to the single digits in some areas with wind chill values as low as -30 degrees. Depending on temperature and windspeed, frostbite can set in in as little as 10 minutes.
Here are the expected high temperatures, windspeeds and wind chill values in popular ski areas through the weekend.
- Snoqualmie Pass: Wind chill values will fall as low as -17 on Friday and drop to as low as -30 on Saturday. High temperatures on the pass are expected to be in the teens into early next week.
- Stevens Pass: High temperatures will be in the single digits to the teens into mid-week. Wind chill values will be around -28 degrees all weekend.
- White Pass: High temperatures in the teens all weekend, with wind chill values falling as low as -34.
People may not notice when they start to get frostbite because the impacted areas can start to go numb. Here are symptoms to watch out for from the Mayo Clinic:
- Cold skin and a prickling feeling
- Numbness
- Skin that looks red, white, bluish-white, grayish-yellow, purplish, brown or ashen, depending on the severity of the condition and usual skin color
- Hard or waxy-looking skin
- Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness
- Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases
People should see a doctor if their skin changes color, or turns warm, if there is increased pain, swelling, inflammation or discharge in the area that was frostbitten, if they develop a fever or if there are new, unexplained symptoms following a case of frostbite. People should seek emergency care for hard, cold, blotchy skin, if skin turns white, black or gray, if they lose all sensation in the area, or joints and muscles stop working.