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DENVER (KDVR) — While the high temperature expected Tuesday is 11 degrees, wind chill is playing a huge role in what it feels like and how cold it is.

The Pinpoint Weather Team issued alert days for Tuesday and Wednesday with expected single-digit temperatures and scattered showers of light snow.

Wind is a factor in the bitter, bone-chilling cold being felt around the state. The Front Range is seeing wind chill temperatures of 5 to 25 degrees below zero throughout the day Tuesday.

The Eastern Plains have been under a wind chill advisory since midnight lasting through Wednesday afternoon with gusts up to 30 mph.

Temperatures are milder in the southwestern mountains as those areas have barely any moisture to work with which is creating tiny little snowflakes.

What is wind chill and how is it determined?

The National Weather Service says the wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold.

“As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder. If the temperature is 0 degrees and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is minus 19 degrees. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes,” the NWS said.

Credit: National Weather Service

What is frostbite and how long does it take to set in?

Being outside in the cold may not only be uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can, in some cases, lead to frostbite.

Frostbite, according to Mayo Clinic, is an injury caused by skin and underlying tissues freezing. In its earliest stages, known as frostnip, your skin will not be permanently damaged. But, as the condition worsens, skin can become hard or waxy-looking.

Skin that is exposed to cold, windy weather is most vulnerable to developing frostbite. This means it’s important to consider the wind chill before you go outside on a winter’s day without dressing properly.