As temperatures plummet across the UK and snow has begun to fall - many will be searching for the best advice on how to keep warm. And who better to ask than someone who works in snow and temperatures of -6C all year round?
Kevin Edwards, 41, is head of snow sports at Manchester's indoor snow centre Chill Factore, and has worked in some of the world's leading - and coldest - ski resorts over the past 20 years. He's been used to braving temperatures ranging from -6C down to the lowest -30C on his coldest ever job in China.
Now, based here in the north west, he contends with daily temperatures of a freezing -6C at work inside the vast snow centre next to the Trafford Centre where he tutors snowboarding and skiing. So what Kev doesn't know about dressing to keep warm probably isn't worth knowing.
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Dad-of-two Kev has worked in snowsports since 2000 - and has been a ski instructor everywhere from Austria to China, and Argentina to Canada. He joined Chill Factore 18 months ago and commutes to work from his home in Preston where he lives with his wife and two young children.
Here, Kev takes us through some of the top tips he's learned over the years in how to dress to keep warm in even the most extreme of temperatures. As well as some handy hints on how to tackle the snow if we do get more than a light dusting.
Layer up
Kev says that when dressing for the cold, layering is key. He says: "Layering is really important - getting some base layers on at the start.
"I used to wear anything - just a normal t-shirt under a jacket - before going up a mountain. But now I know that thermals, and in particular merino wool is a very good fabric, that you can use for base layers. Merino wool is particularly good because it doesn’t hold odour, it’s very warm but it's a natural material and quite a few shops offer Merino thermals now.
"If you're wearing various layers you can take some off or add to it and that’s pretty important in moderating your temperature."
Keep your extremities warm
Kev says: "I would never scrimp on things like socks or gloves - you’ve got to keep your extremities as warm as possible - fingers and toes are always the things to get the coldest first.
"I use heated socks - you can get battery-pack ones on Amazon where you plug them into a USB battery pack and then you can keep them in your socks.
"You can also get heated footbeds, you can slip them in and out of your shoe. Because I wear ski boots a lot and they are made of plastic they don't retain the heat so the footbeds are great.
"You can even get heated socks now connected to an App on your phone and you can turn the heat up and down, although they can be quite expensive."
Keep your head warm
Similarly, you'll want to keep your head as warm as possible - particularly if you're outdoors. Kev says: "A snood is great it helps to keep in some of the heat that escapes through your collar area.
"For keeping your head warm a wool hat is what I use. It's a really good fabric because even if it gets a little bit wet, it still keeps you warm."
Know your fabrics
Kev says: "Jacket-wise, when the elements are really biting I try to have a waterproof jacket on and I always go for Gore-Tex - it’s a good fabric for your body to breathe, but it stops the wind getting in. It's protecting you from the elements.
"I won't go skiing or snowboarding now without a Gore-Tex jacket because it keeps me nice and warm."
Stay active - get the kids involved
Kev was born and raised in "sunny Morecambe" - but his mum and dad were keen fell walkers so from a very young age Kev would be regularly heading for a bracing climb up hills and mountains. Now that he's a dad himself, he says he can see how key it is for his family to keep fit and active.
He says: "As you get older, perhaps people aren’t as active as when they’re younger so they’re not pumping the blood around their body quite as fast, so I think keeping fit and active for as long as possible is a good way to keep off the cold, anything that keeps the blood pumping. You’re burning calories and it keeps you warm.
"I’ve got a daughter, 5, and son, 3, now, and I work two jobs and commute five days a week. Skiing and snowboarding is one way I keep active and I also go out for a run every now and again.
"With the children we try to keep an active, outdoor lifestyle as I feel a regular exposure to the elements helps as well."
Keep a sense of perspective
Kev says that while it might feel biting cold here now, it's good to remember the bigger picture in the weather world. He says: "There’s been record temperatures set all over Europe last year. It’s so warm in Europe that a lot of ski resorts have not had any snow at all, as it’s so mild."
Nothing that Britain can throw at us weather-wise can compare to Kev's coldest ever experiences either. He says: "The coldest was when I worked in China, at the Chongli ski resort, I’ve never known cold like it. Some days temperatures were down to -30C. You could barely go outside without your breath almost freezing.
"You couldn’t go out there without all your skin covered up - that was complete balaclava weather."
Now, working at Chill Factore, Kev says the temperature is a steady -6C in the "snowbox" where you can find the white stuff all-year-round in Manchester - but he takes the chill all in his stride.
How to walk in snow and icy conditions
While we're yet to have a major white out in Manchester this year, Kev has some top tips if we do get a blanket of snow.
He says: "Walk slow, shorter steps, and walk carefully. Consider whether your journey is totally necessary.
"A shoe with a decent sole/tread is essential, and while walking boots are great, wellies are definitely an option as they usually have a good rubber sole.
"Some people might have some trekking poles if they’re keen fell walkers, and you should use them. When walking down pavements, walking close to buildings or walls is good because the ice/snow is often less there, also you have something to steady yourself against."
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