Cold Weather Preparedness

Most of you have noticed that we live in Utah. The fact that we have mountains that for most of the year are covered with the “Greatest Snow on Earth” should also give you a clue that it gets cold here, sometimes really cold. In fact the state record is -69° Fahrenheit, not counting wind chill. Normally in the depths of winter we do a lot better and average between 18° and 28°F for a low.

If you understand the mysteries of “Wind Chill” you know that the actual cold you feel and the effects that it has on your body increase due to the movement of air around you. For example if it is 15° degrees and the wind is blowing 20 miles per hour, you are actually experiencing a -2° temperature. Obviously the effects this cold has on you will be worse on exposed skin or if you are wet. If you are active outdoors in the winter and are fondly attached to the idea of keeping all of your fingers and toes, you’ve put some thought into this.

You’re probably thinking, “I know this already so why are you boring me with it?” It’s because of one little girl. Just before Christmas I was in Salt Lake at Temple Square for the Christmas Lights. It was snowing SOOO hard, with about a 20 mile per hour wind. Everything that wasn’t waterproof was getting wet. I’m guessing we were around 0° degrees wind chill. We were bundled up for it so though we were cold, we were alright. There’s a picture of us under “miserable” in the dictionary, (that’s me on the right.) I was wearing 3 layers and was still cold. We walked to the Gateway for dinner and that’s when I saw the little girl. She was about 3 years old, with long brown hair which was matted to her head and covered with the wet snow. She was crying as she walked and was holding her pale, frozen gloveless hands up in the air. She was wearing a short sleeve light shirt and a little denim short skirt. She was so cold that she was shaking uncontrollably. Her family hurried along the sidewalk. I’m guessing Mom, Dad and a couple of other kids. There was not a coat among them. Dad was actually wearing a t-shirt and denim shorts so I knew immediately that he wasn’t employed by the space program. They were all wet and cold and getting colder, but she is the one that stuck in my mind. I hope that she’s alright. I imagine that they made it into the mall or the visitor’s center and just had to thaw out for a while.

This isn’t an article about parenting - this is about preparedness. This could easily have become a medical emergency for her or a member of her family. They obviously didn’t plan on the weather conditions they would be facing. No, this wasn’t a homeless family. They appeared to be average income or above. They may have been coming from the Jazz game just a block away, or like us, just out for the yearly visit to Temple Square’s lights. What were they thinking?

We should all know how rapidly things can change here and be prepared for it. Take a few minutes and stock your car with warm clothing, gloves and hats. Put it all in an old back pack in case you need to carry it. Throw in a shovel, a couple of blankets and maybe even some MRE meals. Get the car serviced, check the coolant and wiper fluid. How is the tread on the tires? Is the cell phone charged up? Take a map, know your route, think in advance about where you would go to get help. Don’t get complacent around town. You’re far more likely to run into trouble in the area where you drive most or spend the most time. We have talked about 72 hr. Kits before. Remember to update them for the season with weather appropriate clothing. Have them accessible, and don’t forget the most basic item to include, common sense. The Boy Scouts got it right when they said “Be Prepared”. They meant that as a motto for life, every day.

Captain Cody Cullimore, Pleasant Grove/Lindon Police Department