The Wind Chill Factor
What Is It?
Temperature is an expression of heat energy. Temperature alone will not tell you
how cold you’ll feel when you go outside and the wind is blowing! The wind chill
reported by your local weather forecaster feels colder than the temperature
reading on a thermometer. Wind chill is not an actual temperature. It is an attempt
to measure the effect of the combination of low temperature and wind on humans
or animals. When there is a combination of wind and temperature, you feel colder
than if there is no wind at all. If it is 35 F outside and the wind is blowing at 25
miles per hour, the wind chill factor causes you to feel as though it is 8 F. In other
words, your body loses heat as though it is 8 outside. However, no matter what
the wind chill, an object will not get colder than the actual temperature. So when
forecasters say the “wind chill is 8,” they are not saying that a chilled object is
cooled to 8.
Why Care?
The lower the wind chill, the more quickly you could develop frostbite or
hypothermia. Wear proper clothing when you are out in extreme weather, and
check regularly for damp areas on your clothing from snow, rain, or even
perspiration.