ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills fans know all about harsh weather conditions. Saturday the forecast calls for a high in the single digits. The fans who will be at Saturday’s playoff matchup against the New England Patriots, will be there in layers, lots of layers.
“Spandex layer, Carhartt overalls, probably about four or five shirts blows, hand warmers, hats,” listed Michael Drezek, a Bills season ticket holder on his way into the Bills Store on Tuesday night.
If the temperature is low enough and the wind strong enough, frostbite can happen fast.
“You can get frostbite in about 30 seconds depending on the temperature itself,” said Dr. Raul Vazquez, a physician at the Urban Family Practice in Buffalo.
Some may say a few beers will keep you warm in weather that cold, doctors say that’s not at all what alcohol does to the body.
“What I worry more about is the alcohol people are going to be drinking,” said Vazquez. “Alcohol is a vasodilator. So, under the skin it dilates your arteries and things like that and, as a result of that, you may have this false sense of being warm. But, it's pulling heat away from vital organs and your core temperature actually drops and then you could develop hypothermia.”
Dr. Vasquez says if you are going to the game and get too cold, try to find a place to get warm.
