For a brief moment today on live national television I thought I was back in Canada. "Alex, Minneapolis clearly has the worst weather in America because look at these numbers! -38 with the wind chill!"

As I uttered -38 to Alex Witt on MSNBC, I did a double take to verify that I was looking at a map of the U.S. and not of the Canadian Prairie provinces.

People who live in Medicine Hat, Alberta or The Pas, Manitoba don't even flinch when they hear numbers like that.

Despite the numerous differences between America and our neighbors (or neighbours in Canadian spelling) politically, socially and economically, when it comes to weather, we are often one in the same. The only thing that separates Minnesota from Manitoba and Ontario, Canada is a border. And customs officials, as we all know, don't do a very good job at shutting down Canadian weather.

Air masses know no boundaries, in fact, they are some of the best international travellers around! Truth be told, it is not entirely unheard of for the Midwest to experience such cold weather. This IS the coldest air of the season but it's not going to break many records in terms of the termperatures. The bigger threat is the fact that its going to last a long time which will test people's patience.

Frostbite and hypothermia are two terms that I have heard alot about because of my childhood winters spent skiiing and summers spent jumping into frighteningly cold lakes at the crack of dawn at summer camp while swimming teachers watched and laughed in big woolly sweaters from the dock. I probably shouldn't admit that I was one of the camp counsellors years later who stood on the dock in a wooly sweater while instructing shivering campers to jump in. Somehow, I think we're all better and tougher for it, but don't expect to see me signing up with the local Polar Bear Club anytime soon.

All kidding aside, there are some dangers with cold weather that are worth mentioning given the wind chill numbers that folks in the Midwest are experiencing right now. Let's start with frostbite which is particularly dangerous to children because they lose heat more quickly then adults.

This is actually a medical condition in which skin tissue is damaged due to extreme cold. Here's the science: At or below 5 degrees, the blood vessels closest to the skin start to constrict. It's actually a way to try and trap the heat or preserve your body temperature. However, in prolonged periods of cold weather, this mechanism reduces blood flow and causes tissue injury which can look like white waxy skin. Other symptoms include numbness, swelling, redness, pain and tingling sensations.

The best way to avoid frostbite in prolonged periods of extremely cold weather is by staying indoors. Duh. But if you must venture outside, here's what you should do:

• Wear a hat and layers of clothing and make sure you cover your fingers (mittens work much better than gloves), toes, ears and nose
• Never wear cotton in extremely cold weather because it retains moisture from perspiration
• Drink plenty of warm fluids and avoid caffeine and alcohol which hinder your body's ability to produce heat

If you suspect you have frostbite, here's what to do:

• Move to a warm, safe area and get medical attention as soon as possible
• Cover the affected area without rubbing or massaging
• Warm the area in warm (not hot) water
• Ensure tha the affected area does not become frozen again because a second roundn of freezing can cause more extensive damage

So, make sure when you're getting the kids dressed for school this week (and yourself too) that you pack on the layers, avoid the cotton and limit your exposure to the cold. Stay cool, but don't freeze ;)