How to Calculate Wind Chill
Measure the temperature T. Use a thermometer or look up your location's current outdoor temperature on a weather prediction website., Look up or measure wind speed, V. You can find wind speed estimates for your area on most weather prediction...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Measure the temperature T. Use a thermometer or look up your location's current outdoor temperature on a weather prediction website.
You can measure this in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius, but read the next step carefully so you know which unit to use for wind speed.
Wind chill is undefined for temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC).
If the temperature is higher, wind doesn't have much effect on apparent temperature. -
Step 2: Look up or measure wind speed
If you have an anemometer or make one using the instructions below, you can measure the wind speed yourself.
If your temperature measurement used ºF, use the wind speed measurement in miles per hour (mph).
If you used ºC, use kilometers per hour (km/h) instead.If necessary, use this website to convert from knots to km/h.
If you're using an official wind speed measurement taken at 33 ft (10 m), multiply it by
0.75 to get a rough estimate of the wind speed at 5 ft (1.5 m), a typical height for a human face.Wind below 3 mph (4.8 km/h) does not have a significant wind chill effect., There have been several wind chill formulas over the years and in different regions, but we'll use the one currently used by the UK, US, and Canada, created by an international team of researchers.Plug in your numbers to the formula below, replacing T with the temperature and V with the wind speed:
If using ºF and mph:
Wind chill temperature =
35.74 +
0.6215T
-
35.75V0.16 +
0.4275TV0.16 If using ºC and km/h:
Wind chill temperature =
13.12 +
0.6215T
-
11.37V0.16 +
0.3965TV0.16 , Bright sunshine can raise the apparent temperature by as much as +10 to +18ºF (+5.6 to +10ºC).There's no official formula to measure this effect, but be aware that sunlight will make the air seem warmer than the wind chill formula suggests. , Wind chill is an invented concept that describes how wind increases heat loss on exposed skin.
In extreme conditions, this can be a major factor in how soon frostbite sets in.
At a wind chill temperature below –19ºF (-28ºC), frostbite will occur on exposed skin within 15 minutes or less.Below
-58ºF (-50ºC), exposed skin can freeze within 30 seconds. -
Step 3: V. You can find wind speed estimates for your area on most weather prediction websites
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Step 4: or by searching for "wind speed + (the name of your town)" online.
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Step 5: Enter these values into the formula.
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Step 6: Adjust for sunshine.
-
Step 7: Understand wind chill.
Detailed Guide
You can measure this in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius, but read the next step carefully so you know which unit to use for wind speed.
Wind chill is undefined for temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC).
If the temperature is higher, wind doesn't have much effect on apparent temperature.
If you have an anemometer or make one using the instructions below, you can measure the wind speed yourself.
If your temperature measurement used ºF, use the wind speed measurement in miles per hour (mph).
If you used ºC, use kilometers per hour (km/h) instead.If necessary, use this website to convert from knots to km/h.
If you're using an official wind speed measurement taken at 33 ft (10 m), multiply it by
0.75 to get a rough estimate of the wind speed at 5 ft (1.5 m), a typical height for a human face.Wind below 3 mph (4.8 km/h) does not have a significant wind chill effect., There have been several wind chill formulas over the years and in different regions, but we'll use the one currently used by the UK, US, and Canada, created by an international team of researchers.Plug in your numbers to the formula below, replacing T with the temperature and V with the wind speed:
If using ºF and mph:
Wind chill temperature =
35.74 +
0.6215T
-
35.75V0.16 +
0.4275TV0.16 If using ºC and km/h:
Wind chill temperature =
13.12 +
0.6215T
-
11.37V0.16 +
0.3965TV0.16 , Bright sunshine can raise the apparent temperature by as much as +10 to +18ºF (+5.6 to +10ºC).There's no official formula to measure this effect, but be aware that sunlight will make the air seem warmer than the wind chill formula suggests. , Wind chill is an invented concept that describes how wind increases heat loss on exposed skin.
In extreme conditions, this can be a major factor in how soon frostbite sets in.
At a wind chill temperature below –19ºF (-28ºC), frostbite will occur on exposed skin within 15 minutes or less.Below
-58ºF (-50ºC), exposed skin can freeze within 30 seconds.
About the Author
Cynthia Allen
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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