What do "wind chill warnings" mean?

[whitehall]

The weather people and the news drones rattle off phrases like "dangerous wind chill" but the laws of physics dictate that the ambient temperature will remain the same no matter how hard the wind is blowing. In other words if it is 20 degrees out it will be 20 degrees with no wind or 30 mph wind. Some nerdy calculation might claim that "it feels like 10 below zero" but it isn't 10 below zero. It might be damn cold but the wind doesn't make it colder.

 

[martybegan]

The weather people and the news drones rattle off phrases like "dangerous wind chill" but the laws of physics dictate that the ambient temperature will remain the same no matter how hard the wind is blowing. In other words if it is 20 degrees out it will be 20 degrees with no wind or 30 mph wind. Some nerdy calculation might claim that "it feels like 10 below zero" but it isn't 10 below zero. It might be damn cold but the wind doesn't make it colder.

The wind removes the slim layer of warming air next to a persons skin, and pulls the heat out more effectively from exposed skin.

Basically it increases the temperature gradient as opposed to being in cold air that is still.

 

[Sarah G]

When they report wind chill on our weather segments, they always say wind chill or how cold it feels on your skin.

If your wind chills are below zero and you have to be outside, cover everything up especially the back of your neck. Heat escapes there.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

What do "wind chill warnings" mean?

It means its damn cold out there, don't go out and be sure you bring your critters inside.

 

[whitehall]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

 

[initforme]

It's 27 below here now without the wind. With the wind blowing 15 to 20 mph it feels like minus 47 below. It is very cold and exposure of a few minutes in that wind can lead to frostbite. I bundled up and took my daily 3 mile walk only today it was 300 yards. It is bitterly unreal cold outside today. There is no other way to put it. Not safe for being outside for more than a minute or two.

 

[Moonglow]

It means it's time to go swimming.

 

[martybegan]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

It actually can be. instead of a temperature gradient created by the heat from your skin, the air is constantly being replaced with new cold air.

It also sucks out the heat quicker from the outer layers of skin, leading them to freeze i.e. frostbite.

Wind chill is an actual phenomenon, and makes thermodynamic sense.

 

[whitehall]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

It actually can be. instead of a temperature gradient created by the heat from your skin, the air is constantly being replaced with new cold air.

It also sucks out the heat quicker from the outer layers of skin, leading them to freeze i.e. frostbite.

Wind chill is an actual phenomenon, and makes thermodynamic sense.

The heat from your skin is constantly replaced with cold air if you aren't wearing any clothes. Like many information sources that put warnings on products such as telling you not to put the plastic bag over your head the weather people use "wind chill" as hype and they cater to the lowest intelligence on the planet.

 

[dilloduck]

It's more important to know what something feels like than what it really is. Progressives have proved that.

 

[initforme]

All I know is most everything outdoors is shut down for the day around here. Nobody in the stores, nobody on the streets. Very few vehicles and many businesses closed down. No outdoor construction going on today. Guys got the day off. Good day to be in the fixing broken down vehicles business. Lots of cars not starting. Mother nature is asserting her will. Not worth risking one's safety to make a buck or spend it today.

 

[whitehall]

You can bet you ass-ets that single digit temperature during the day is dangerous (and expensive) but wind chill warnings are superfluous.

 

[martybegan]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

It actually can be. instead of a temperature gradient created by the heat from your skin, the air is constantly being replaced with new cold air.

It also sucks out the heat quicker from the outer layers of skin, leading them to freeze i.e. frostbite.

Wind chill is an actual phenomenon, and makes thermodynamic sense.

The heat from your skin is constantly replaced with cold air if you aren't wearing any clothes. Like many information sources that put warnings on products such as telling you not to put the plastic bag over your head the weather people use "wind chill" as hype and they cater to the lowest intelligence on the planet.

You can perform a simple experiment. stand outside when it is cold on a calm day, and place one hand just out in the open, and another in front of a fan.

See which one gets frostbite first.

 

[Mr. H.]

The words "owie" and "mommy" come to mind...


Sent from my ass using USMessageBoard.com

 

[Edgetho]

Wind Chill is the ambient temperature combined with the evaporative properties of the Wind.

Evaporation is how your Air Conditioner/Refrigerator/Freezer work. It is how your body cools itself, it is how scientists reach 'absolute zero'.

Evaporation is one of the more efficient and effective cooling methods there is.

 

[The Professor]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

I respectfully disagree. Wind chill does make a difference and the “feels like” temperature is the actual surface temperature.

The following chart shows the relationship between wind chill and frostbite. You will see that when the ambient temperature is minus 15 degrees, frostbite sill occur in 30 minutes when the wind is 5-15 mph; in 10 minutes when the wind is between 15 and 40 mph; and in only 5 minutes when the wind is over 40 mph.

Wind Chill Chart - weather.com

The “feels like” temperature is not a psychological illusion; it is very real. The best example I can think of is when a fan is used to cool. The room temperature doesn't change when the fan is on, but the quicker evaporation of perspiration makes a person “feel like” it is cooler. It feels cooler only because the skin is really and truly actually cooler. Here's an experiment: Take a thermometer and record the room temperature. Next wet a cloth (make sure the water temperature and room temperature are the same) and wrap it around the bulb of the thermometer. Then swing the thermometer around (to duplicate the effects of moving air) and check the temperature again. You will find the temperature has gone down. The method I described is a very old one used to calculate humidity, but it also shows that the REAL surface temperature is influenced by the movement of air.

Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

 

[whitehall]

If it's below freezing and your face is exposed to the wind here's a tip, cover your face or turn your head. The "wind chill" might be uncomfortable and it might take a bit of heat from the surface of your body until you do something about it but it can't be any more dangerous than the ambient temperature.

I respectfully disagree. Wind chill does make a difference and the “feels like” temperature is the actual surface temperature.

The following chart shows the relationship between wind chill and frostbite. You will see that when the ambient temperature is minus 15 degrees, frostbite sill occur in 30 minutes when the wind is 5-15 mph; in 10 minutes when the wind is between 15 and 40 mph; and in only 5 minutes when the wind is over 40 mph.

Wind Chill Chart - weather.com

The “feels like” temperature is not a psychological illusion; it is very real. The best example I can think of is when a fan is used to cool. The room temperature doesn't change when the fan is on, but the quicker evaporation of perspiration makes a person “feel like” it is cooler. It feels cooler only because the skin is really and truly actually cooler. Here's an experiment: Take a thermometer and record the room temperature. Next wet a cloth (make sure the water temperature and room temperature are the same) and wrap it around the bulb of the thermometer. Then swing the thermometer around (to duplicate the effects of moving air) and check the temperature again. You will find the temperature has gone down. The method I described is a very old one used to calculate humidity, but it also shows that the REAL surface temperature is influenced by the movement of air.

Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

Sorry prof but the laws of physics disagree. If it's 35 degrees out and the "wind chill" claims it to be around zero you might be liable for hypothermia but you can't get frostbite because it simply isn't cold enough.

 

[Sunshine]

The weather people and the news drones rattle off phrases like "dangerous wind chill" but the laws of physics dictate that the ambient temperature will remain the same no matter how hard the wind is blowing. In other words if it is 20 degrees out it will be 20 degrees with no wind or 30 mph wind. Some nerdy calculation might claim that "it feels like 10 below zero" but it isn't 10 below zero. It might be damn cold but the wind doesn't make it colder.

I went back to school when my son was in 4th grade and my daughter in 2nd. On days when the schools were closed for snow they went to class with me. One day after class, my son asked the prof why water didn't freeze when the wind chill was below 32. Prof told him that wind chill is the weather service's alarmist way of making you think it is colder than it really is. Freezing is 32F no matter what the wind chill is.

 

[R.D.]

What do "wind chill warnings" mean?

Baby, it's cold outside

 

[whitehall]

What do "wind chill warnings" mean?

Baby, it's cold outside

In case you didn't know.