News Photo by Julie Riddle Sage Eden, 6, pauses from her play at the Kiwanis Kiddie Park in Alpena on Tuesday.

ALPENA — After enjoying the 10th-warmest January on record, Northeast Michigan is shivering.

Single-digit temperatures that crisped Thunder Bay and made the air crackle in recent days feel more like a normal Michigan winter, but they can pose danger to those who aren’t careful, officials warn.

The National Weather Service advises residents to take precautions to avoid frostbite and hypothermia in bitterly cold temperatures.

Frostbite, which causes a loss of feeling and color in skin exposed to too-cold temperatures for too long, can cause permanent damage, especially extremities such as cheeks, chins, ears, noses, and fingers and toes.

Infants and elderly people are most susceptible to frostbite, according to the National Weather Service.

Deeply cold temperatures alone can be dangerous, but wind increases the risk by carrying heat away from human and animal bodies, driving down skin temperature and, eventually, internal body temperature.

Through Thursday night, winds are not expected to be stronger than 10 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

At those wind speeds, it would take more than two hours for frostbite to set in, as long as temperatures stay at zero degrees fahrenheit or above.

When the temperature drops to minus 5 degrees, winds of 10 miles per hour can cause frostbite in only 30 minutes. At minus 10 degrees, frostbite can set in just as quickly with winds of only 5 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

With temperatures predicted to dip no lower than single-digits for the rest of the week, frostbite shouldn’t be a significant danger, but hypothermia — when the body temperature drops to less than 95% fahrenheit — is still a threat.

Signs of hypothermia — including shivering, exhaustion, confusion, and drowsiness — should be addressed with immediate medical care, according to the National Weather Service.

Dressing properly for extreme temperatures is the best safeguard against frostbite, according to the Michigan State Police.

Michigan weather is unpredictable any time of year, but especially during the winter months, police reminded residents, encouraging them to keep an eye on the forecast before hitting the road.

Icy, snowy, or slushy roads caused 220,000 crashes in Michigan between 2015 and 2019, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.

If travel is necessary, drivers should keep a full tank of gas and have warm clothing, a blanket, and a cell phone charger in the car. Drivers stranded on the roadside in frigid weather should stay with the vehicle and wait for help, police said.

Police also suggest checking on neighbors and keeping pets indoors in extreme cold.

On Tuesday, as temperatures hovered around 18 degrees and winds were calm, a well-bundled Sage Eden, 6, took advantage of the late-day sunlight at the Kiwanis Kiddie Park in Alpena.

The lively young lady, who recently lost both front teeth, shrugged off the cold as she scrambled across playground bars, spun on a merry-go-round, and tromped up a low hill, sled tailing behind.

How does she stay warm on cold days?

“Snowpants,” Eden said, pointing to her hot-pink pants with a gap-toothed grin.

Frostbite first aid if you suspect frostbite

∫ Don’t rub or massage cold body parts.

∫ Put hands into armpits or on another person or animal.

∫ Drink warm liquids.

∫ Put on extra layers of clothes, blankets, etc.

∫ Remove rings and watches.

∫ Don’t walk on a frostbitten foot.

∫ Get in a warm — not hot — bath and wrap face and ears in a moist, warm towel.

∫ Stay away from hot stoves or heaters, heating pads, hot water bottles, and hair dryers until feeling returns.

∫ Frostbitten skin will become red and swollen and have a burning sensation, and may develop blisters. Breaking could cause scarring and infection.

∫ If skin turns blue or gray, is very swollen or blistered, or feels hard and numb even under the surface, seek immediate medical help.

Source: The National Weather Service