This winter has been brrrutal. As if the freezing temperatures , slippery sidewalks, high heating bills , dry, flaky skin, chapped lips and wet boots aren’t annoying enough, some people have health conditions that worsen in the cold. The wintry weather is harmful in a few ways — the cold allows viruses to survive and spread and it narrows blood vessels to minimize heat loss, causing joints and tissues to feel tighter and stiffer. Plus, dry air dehydrates protective mucous membranes in the nose,