Cold Snap hits Eastern Ontario - Stay Indoors?

This weekend the wind chill reached -39 in the City of Ottawa, and to hear the media there was nothing for anyone to do but seal the doors, brew up some hot chocolate, and settle in front of the television set.

I disagree.

There is no question that -39 is not merely extremely cold, but potentially dangerous. At that temperature, exposed flesh can quickly freeze and frostbite is a real possibility. However, that does not mean to me that you should not go outside. It simply - but most assuredly - means that you must take the proper precautions: dress appropriately, choose a route where you have the ability to return to shelter rapidly if necessary, and monitor your condition constantly.

I actually went outdoors three times on Sunday, and walked a combined distance of more than 14km. The first was before breakfast, although not before coffee. I am fortunate to have near the house a wooded path tracing a ridge line. I spent nearly an hour tramping along this ridge; I took the above picture with my Blackberry.

Was I cold? Surprisingly, not really. I had two layers on my legs and four on my torso. I wore mittens and a toque, as well as a kerchief that I could raise over my face. My fingers felt chilled somewhat, as were my toes, and any exposed skin felt raw, particularly when I headed into the wind, but when I finished my walk I was sweating; you can see it frozen on my toque.

I am not saying that -39 temperatures should be discounted, but neither do I think that they preclude being active in the outdoors. During my walks on Sunday, I saw people walking their dogs, children sledding in a local park, and cross-country skiers (true, bundled up with so many layers that they could barely move).

So do not let the cold weather of January and February force you into hibernation. You might need to put a little more effort into what you wear, but if you chose wisely, you can still get outside and absorb more of that delicious sunshine that our body craves so much in these winter months.