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Don't ignore avalanche
warnings! Colorado has more avalanche deaths than any
other state.
Call the Colorado Avalanche
Information Center for current reports at 303-275-5360.
Listen for whumphing sounds or
shooting cracks when you walk on the snow. |
Be sure to read Clothes
Horsing and Driving 'Miss Haps" for
tips on clothes to pack and how to get your car road-ready for winter
conditions. The
best solution is to be prepared and don't do silly things like run to
the grocery store to pick up coke and potato chips in your t-shirt and
slippers. What if your car didn't start and a snowstorm blew
in? Sure this all sounds negative, but it happens more often than
you think, so a little awareness is a good thing.
Following are some terms provided by
FEMA* that are
helpful to know when you travel in the mountains.
Wind chill
is a calculation of how cold it feels
outside when the effects of temperature and wind speed are
combined. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just
below freezing can have the same effect as a still air
temperature about 35 degrees colder.
Winter Storm Watches and Warnings
A winter storm watch indicates that severe winter weather may
affect your area. A winter storm warning indicates that severe
winter weather conditions are definitely on the way.
A blizzard warning
means that large amounts of falling or
blowing snow and sustained winds of at least 35 miles per hour
are expected for several hours.
Frostbite and Hypothermia
Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can
permanently damage its victims. A loss of feeling and a white or
pale appearance in fingers, toes, or nose and ear lobes are
symptoms of frostbite.
Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body
temperature drops to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms
of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slow speech,
memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness, and exhaustion.
*Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
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How to Predict the Weather
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When birds ruffle and pick their
feathers or huddle together, look out for a change for the worse in
the weather.
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Low clouds moving swiftly indicate
coolness, rain or snow.
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When dogs sniff the air frequently,
look for a change in the weather.
Taken from The Lost Lore of A Man's
Life:
Lots of Cool Stuff Guys Used to Know But Forgot About the Great
Outdoors
by Denis Boyles
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Colorado gets about 300 days of sunshine a
year! When you're in the high country, the ultra violet
rays are extremely strong.
Without a good sunscreen, you will probably
get a nasty sunburn in a very short time. Doctors
recommend a sunscreen protection with an SPF of 15 or higher. |
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If frostbite or hypothermia is suspected, begin warming the
person slowly and seek immediate medical assistance.
Warm the
person's trunk first. Use your own body heat to help.
Arms and
legs should be warmed last because stimulation of the limbs can
drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure.
Put person in dry clothing and wrap the entire body in a
blanket.
Never give a frostbite or hypothermia victim something with
caffeine in it (like coke, coffee or tea) or alcohol.
Caffeine, a
stimulant, can cause the heart to beat faster and hasten the
effects the cold has on the body.
Alcohol, a depressant, can
slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body
temperatures.
This information provided by
FEMA.
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