Wind Chill Calculator
Calculate the wind chill factor to determine how cold the air actually feels. Essential for winter safety and frostbite prevention.
What is Wind Chill?
Wind chill describes how cold it actually feels on exposed skin due to the wind stripping away the warm layer of air that surrounds your body.
The faster the wind blows, the faster heat is carried away, making the environment feel colder than the actual air temperature. This calculator uses the official National Weather Service (NWS) formula implemented in 2001.
Limitations
- Temperature Cap: Wind chill is only defined for temperatures at or below 50°F (10°C). Above this, wind generally has little cooling effect or might even feel warm.
- Wind Threshold: Wind speeds must be above 3 mph (4.8 km/h) for the formula to apply effectively.
- Inanimate Objects: Wind chill only affects living things that produce heat. It does not affect cars or pipes (they will not cool below the actual air temperature, though they may cool down faster).
The Formula
Wind Chill (°F) = 35.74 + 0.6215T - 35.75(V^0.16) + 0.4275T(V^0.16)
Where T is Air Temperature (°F) and V is Wind Speed (mph).
? Frequently Asked Questions
No. Wind chill calculates heat loss from warm, living skin. Inanimate objects like cars or water pipes cannot cool below the actual air temperature, although wind may cool them down to that temperature faster.
Frostbite risk begins to increase significantly when the wind chill drops below -18°F (-28°C). At this level, exposed skin can freeze in about 30 minutes.
Wind chill is specific to cold weather. For hot weather, the combination of heat and humidity is measured using the Heat Index.