People can experience hypothermia and frostbite when the wind chill drops below zero, according to the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Leah Bush.

"The wind chill index indicates what the potential effect on the body is in terms of the cold. The effect can be much colder than what a temperature gauge shows," Bush said.

The wind chill index indicates the severity of the weather in terms of the potential loss of body heat. As of Friday last week, with cold weather sunk across Virginia, there were three confirmed deaths with hypothermia being a contributing factor in the Hampton Roads region, Bush said.

Hypothermia develops when an individual is exposed to severe cold without enough protection. The condition, which is potentially fatal, occurs when the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Infants and the elderly are at greatest risk, according to the Virginia Department of Health; and the elderly account for nearly half of all victim...