Contributing Factors

There are four main environmental contributing factors to cold stress. They include air temperature, moisture, air movement, and contact with cold water or surfaces.

Air temperature: This is the temperature that can be measured using a thermometer. It does not account for radiant heat (such as heat from direct sunlight), humidity, or air speed. Because of this, it is not always an accurate indicator of how cold you feel.

Moisture: This includes the amount of moisture in the air, which can be in the form of rain, though this is rare in the polar regions, or snow. Cold air with high humidity feels colder than dry air at the same temperature because the humidity increases the loss of heat from the body to the surrounding air. Moisture can also be in the form of sweat or wet clothes, both of which decrease the body's ability to produce heat.

Air movement: This includes wind speed, which is measured in miles per hour (mph), and artificially blowing air from fans and other cooling equipment.

Contact with cold water or surfaces: This includes immersion in cold water or direct contact with cold surfaces, such as metal. Water transfers heat away from the body 25 times faster than air, so even moderate water temperatures can be dangerous. Cold surfaces also pull heat away from the body.

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