It's hard to imagine how cold those temperatures are. When they predicted record cold in Chicago in 2019 I scoffed at weakling Americans and how my rugged British constitution would protect me. All the bravado evaporated quickly when I had to step outside for a hospital appointment that day. IT WAS COLD. REALLY COLD.

"In the Chicago area, temperatures plummeted as low as −23 °F (−31 °C) at O'Hare International Airport on January 30, with a windchill of −52 °F (−47 °C)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January%E2%80%93February_2019_...

I was in jail at the time and shortly after I met a guy in physical therapy who's fingers were all black. I asked him what happened. He said he had a dope (heroin) habit and went out that day trying to find a dealer. He was outside in that temperature for _8 hours_. Of course, he never found a dealer. He went home and took a hot shower and realized something was wrong. The day after I met him they sawed off all his fingers.