How Do We Find the Windchill?
There is no instrument to measure windchill. Meteorologists calculate it with a mathematical formula using temperature and wind speed. This chart shows the windchill values for specific temperatures and wind speeds. Find the temperature at the top and follow the column down the the wind speed to find the windchill.
Source: Wind Chill | NWS
What do you think?
Using the windchill chart, find the windchill for the following situations:
- Temperature: 35, Wind: 5
- Temperature: 20, Wind: 15
- For number 2, how much colder does a person feel than the actual temperature outside?
- 31°F
- 6°F
- Since the actual temperature is 20°F, and the windchill temperature is only 6°F, we can subtract to get the difference. In these conditions, the windchill makes a person feel 14°F colder than the actual temperature…brrrrrr!