KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This New Year's Eve, partygoers will flock to Westport and Power & Light to ring in the new year in subzero temperatures.
Some will rely on an extra layer of warmth, and we're not talking about another coat.
"I mean I feel a little bit warmer when I have a couple drinks," Beth Neal, who was walking through Westport with her family on Thursday, said.
One man visiting Westport from Denver had a name for it.
"Beer blanket, yeah," Tom Keaveny said of the phenomenon.
There's actually a scientific explanation.
"Alcohol causes the blood vessels in your skin to dilate, so when your blood vessels dilate, you get more blood flow to your skin and you actually feel relatively warmer," Dr. Matt Gratton with Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill explained.
According to Gratton, alcohol makes your body do the opposite of what it should do in the cold. Vessels need to constrict to keep blood flow in your core so you can stay warm.
When alcohol dilates blood vessels, you lose heat even faster.
"You'll feel like you're warm for a little while, but in fact you're losing body temperature and cooling off faster than you would otherwise," Dr. Gratton added.
If you experience pain or numbness when you're out in the cold, both can be early signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Gratton told us just like with burns, frostbite symptoms can be as minor as redness and peeling or as severe as losing tissue. Severe cases can even require amputation.
Of course, there is one way to avoid any risk this New Year's Eve.
"I suggest staying inside and drinking," Gratton said and laughed.
If you begin to experience symptoms, you should go inside or cover up. Gratton advised against rubbing your hands together to warm them because it can damage the tissue.
The hospital also has warming equipment for more serious situations.
