Question: What temperature is the lowest the human body can bear?

Emma Ross answered on 19 Jun 2013:

It depends how well clothed you are! In Antarctics, temperatures regularly get to -60°C, and people can survive here if they have very good technical clothing that keeps their core body temperature within the normal range of 36.5-38°C. If your core body temperature drops to below 35°C, you are siad to be ‘hypothermic’ and that is when the cold will start to affect how well your body functions – you will start shivering, bceaus the shaking movement warms you up from the heat produced by the energy you use to shiver.

If you have the right clothing it is fairly easy to keep your core body temperature in a safe zone, but your extremities – like your fingers, ears, nose are at a big risk if the air temperature is too cold. The blood vessels in these areas constrict, as the body sends the blood (which carries heat) to the core of the body insteads to make sure that stays warm. When blood flow to the extremities is reduced, the skin goes an unnatural looking “pasty white” color and loses sensation. If you don’t cover the skin up and try and warm it, the skin actually falls below freezing point and ice crystals form within the live cells of the skin killing them in the process. If this happens it is likely that the dead tissue, often in places like the end of the fingers, has to be cut off.

In cold temperatures the wind also makes a difference, and in calm conditions at -29°C a well clothed person is in little danger, but if there is a light wind of 10mph it gives the same effect as a temperature of -44°C when exposed flesh can freeze in a minute or so.