Cold weather health emergencies can occur at times of low temperatures, high winds and high humidity. When the core temperature falls, bodily functions are shut down.
Most hypothermia victims are elderly persons who are unable to keep sufficiently warm in winter.
As the body ages, it gradually loses it sensitivity to cold. An elderly person's body temperature may drop without the individual being aware of it. In addition, the aging body also becomes increasingly less able to reverse a fall in temperature. This reduced ability is also present in the very young. Aside from the elderly, babies are the most common victims of hypothermia.