SOUTH BEND -- Frigid temperatures sent at least one person to a local hospital over the weekend with signs of hypothermia and frost bite. And doctors say if you don't take the proper precautions, it might only take a few short minutes for it to happen to you too.

There were a multitude of words used to describe the dropping mercury over the weekend.

"Pretty painful," said one person in downtown South Bend.

"Tundra-ish" said another.

But all agreed, above all, it was just plain "cold." By late afternoon Sunday, temperatures were hovering just above 10 degrees, and as the sun began to drop, so did the mercury. Wind chills below zero for much of the day made the conditions even more dangerous.

"[You can only go] out for a second, then right back in," said a man stopping in for hot chocolate at South Bend's Chocolate Cafe.

He, like many others on the mostly empty downtown streets, admitted he wasn't dressed for the weather.

"No gloves, no hat, no nothing," he said.

And he also admitted, he knew he could be asking for trouble.

"We're mostly water," said St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Emergency Room Dr. Mark Kricheff. "So once it gets below freezing, the water in our bodies can freeze, and the cells can then get damaged. Some people could develop signs of mild frostbite in just a few minutes."

The elderly, the very young, and those exposed to the elements before are particularly at risk.

"If you've had frostbite before, you're at a much higher risk of getting frostbite again," said Dr. Kricheff.

That's why South Bend's Hope Rescue Mission and Center for the Homeless opened their doors over the weekend, allowing anyone to stay inside -- day or night -- even though they've already reached their capacity.

"We have cots and mats to put the overflow on," said volunteer Juanetta Hill. "It's lifesaving because you're not freezing. But it's also lifesaving because we're social beings, and it provides that security."

Volunteers at the Center accepted 26 extra guests Saturday night, and expected an even higher number Sunday night.

Severe frostbite can result in amputation, or life threatening infections. If you start feeling numb from the cold, doctors say it's important to soak the affected area in warm water, and call for help as soon as possible.