Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee remembers how cold it was during a playoff game in Denver in January 2013 when his Baltimore Ravens team faced a Denver Broncos team coached by John Fox.

“When guys were talking and they sprayed water and it hit their mustaches, it kind of froze up right there,” McPhee said. “That’s what I remember. And I definitely remember the wind.”

It might not get above zero Sunday at Soldier Field when the Bears host the Green Bay Packers, and lows could get down to minus-14.

Be that as it may, McPhee says: “I ain’t wearing sleeves. As a front-seven guy, as a guy who plays defense, I think it’s a sign of weakness. I ain’t wearing no sleeves. I don’t know about everybody else.”

To become acclimated, the Bears practiced outside Thursday for about 75 minutes when the temperature was barely in double digits.

“It was probably as close to what we think the game conditions will be,” Fox said. “So it was good to get the proper footwear and clothing. All in all, it was a good rehearsal. Guys adapted and focused pretty well.

“But it was a little chilly.”

Guard Josh Sitton is a Florida native who played at Central Florida but then spent eight years with the Packers before joining the Bears in September.

“Yeah, it’s cold,” Sitton said after practice. “But once you get out on the field, it’s usually not too bad. The worst part is during timeouts. Other than that, there are (portable) heaters, and you’re on a heated bench, so it’s not a big deal.”

Sitton is a no-sleeves guy, “but I tape my hands all the way up and then wear elbow sleeves. I’ve only got a little bit

of skin showing — cheat the system a little bit.”

Sitton’s best cold-weather advice for Southerners who might struggle with the cold?

First, “grow up,” and then, “Stay by the heater all the way until the timeout’s over. Don’t go on the field early.”

Fox has some simple words of wisdom.

“I’ve told them the macho stuff’s all great,” he said, “but there comes a point where people might question your intelligence.”

Right tackle Bobby Massie is a Virginia native who played at Ole Miss and then for four years with the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2012. He heeds Fox’s advice.

“Sleeves, definitely,” Massie said. “Being tough and stupid are two different things.”

California kid Matt Barkley quarterbacked his first game in the snow two weeks ago in the Bears’ 26-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Thursday he got to try his hand in Arctic-like temperatures.

“We were giving him a hard time about being a Cali boy and trying to deal with the Chicago weather,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “But he did a nice job with it.”

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is a South Carolina native who played for the Gamecocks, but he has been in Chicago for four years, long enough to get accustomed to cold weather. And, after serving a four-game PED suspension, he’s eager to suit up anywhere.

“I don’t think the weather really matters,” Jeffery said. “I could care less how cold it is. I’ve played in colder games. I’m just ready to play football.”

So, too, is McPhee.

“I’m at war,” he said. “I’m at combat. I ain’t got time to think about sleeves. I’m gonna go out there sleeveless, and that’s how I’m gonna play.”

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