On days like today (high of 20°F in New York City), I often wonder how close I am to hypothermia. Wikipedia defines three stages of a cooling body temperature:
- Stage 1 (1-2°C below normal body temperature): light shivering and goosebumps (which are ineffective in humans)
- Stage 2 (2-4°C below normal body temperature): with strong shivering, pale skin and blue extremities
- Stage 3 (8°C below normal body temperature): puffy blue skin, cognitive failures, “terminal burrowing,” “paradoxical undressing,” and eventually death
The verdict: keep your head covered and don’t fall in the water when it’s butt cold outside. If you take off all your clothes and start burrowing, the end is probably near.
overstated 