Anyone that isn’t used to those temperatures please do whatever research you can on how to stay warm.
Here are a few pointers to start you off.
Wear layers. The more layers the better. Pockets of air get trapped between each layer and act like insulation for you so your stay much warmer than with a single heavier layer.
If you’re sweating remove some layers. Sweat can kill you. The last thing you want is your body producing liquid that can then freeze on your skin.
Get candles. As many as you can. If the worst case happens and you lose power a candle in a small space can keep you warm and alive for far longer than you would expect.
If you’re really concerned about losing power and don’t have anywhere to go for shelter, build your own. If you’ve got snow make a quinzee. It’s like a ghetto version of an igloo. You can find some instructions here. If you’ve got a way to pile snow quickly that’s even better. Believe me, a quinzee with a candle will keep you warmer than being in your house. Especially if you build a wind break wall. DO NOT forget to make sure there is adequate ventilation.
If you don’t have power sleep naked. At the most you can wear a pair of socks and a toque (knitted cap), anything more can cause you to sweat. Keep the clothes you are planning to change into in the sleeping bag/blankets with you so they’re already warm from your body heat when you go to put them on.
Do as little as humanly possible. Avoid being outdoors if you can and if you can’t protect yourself from the wind. Cover every inch of skin you can manage to cover.
If you have hypothermia warm yourself slowly!! Do not jump into a tub of hot water or you’ll likely burn yourself. You can’t tell how hot something is at that point. Same if you have frost bite.
If someone you love has hypothermia DO NOT share your body heat with them unless you can easily get warm again. I know it’s sexy in fanfics but in real life it can lead to you both becoming hypothermic and dying. You can use your body heat to warm some blankets and exchange them for the cooling ones they’re using until they can produce enough heat on their own to make their own pocket of warm air but be very careful that you don’t let your own temperature drop too much. Shivering is bad but not shivering anymore when it’s still cold is much worse.
If your hands are cold the best place to warm them against your body is under your armpits or, even better, your groin.
Snow makes an excellent insulator. If your car breaks down somewhere and you don’t know when you’ll be able to get help then cover your car in as much snow as you can manage (make sure you also make it obvious someone in the area needs help.) Even burying yourself in the snow is better than staying exposed to the air.
If your water shuts off don’t just melt snow to drink, boil it first. Snow, in general, is pretty safe but there is still a chance it can make you sick and you can’t risk that in a survival situation.
DO NOT START A FIRE IN YOUR HOME. Unless you have a fireplace with proper ventilation just don’t do it.
These have been tips from an ex-military Canadian who grew up where -40 was a normal winter experience and, yes, even did a cadet winter survival exercise when it was that cold out.
blakekathryn
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