The author's experience is consistent with my own... Most incidents of wrist/hand discomfort that I've experienced have started in cold or drafty environments. In these cases, I've found fingerless gloves have helped, as have breaks for walks and warm water rinses.

I'm certain that inadequate blood flow is a major contributor to RSI, and that's probably one reason that exercise seems to help so much. Unfortunately, I think, environmental temperature is often overlooked as a source, maybe because it can affect individuals in so many different ways (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting_reaction).