Final answer:
True, getting wet and staying outside in cool weather can lead to hypothermia, which is a dangerous decrease in core body temperature. Evaporation increases heat loss especially when the skin is wet, raising the risk of hypothermia in cold conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Getting wet on a cool day and staying outside can indeed lead to hypothermia, which is a dangerous decrease in core body temperature below 34.4 degrees C (94 degrees F). This condition occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, leading to a drop in core body temperature. One of the body's responses to cold is shivering, which generates heat through muscle activity. However, if you are wet, heat loss through evaporation increases, and if you remain outside in cool conditions without adequate protection, you are at a higher risk of developing hypothermia.
It is a misconception to think that hypothermia can occur only in freezing temperatures; it can happen even in cool conditions if a person is wet and exposed to the elements for an extended period. This underscores the importance of staying dry and warm in cold weather to maintain a healthy body temperature. On the other hand, on hot, dry days, the evaporation of sweat from the skin cools the body, but this process is significantly hindered on humid days when the air is already saturated with water, making it difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool the body down.