wind chill factor

[JB TELE]

Windchill is a measure of how fast bare skin will lose heat to the wind. If its 20f and 0f "windchill", bare skin will lose heat as if its 0f, not 20f. Since we aren't walking around naked and clothing blocks wind, it's not an accurate way of determining how cold it is.

[Jurassien]

I just go by what I see. If I spot a brass monkey with a welding rod then I turn back and stay indoors till it gets warmer.

[Crayefish]

Wind Chill Factor is total bullshit, I have never seen this "stat" or "heat index" outside of the USA. Wind chill is an exaggeration to sell papers or click bait. How cold you "feel" in wind is a total BS stat". Heat Index is just as stupid and deployed for the same reason- to titillate Americans. That said it was fucking cold on Mt Washington yesterday!

Have you left the USA at all by any chance?

I hate to burst the bubble but they are both widely used terms around the world. Its definitely fair that windchill is a variable thing based on clothing etc but it's a genuine phenomenon and has real world relevance, even if its not an absolute measurement for real world applications (i.e. with clothing).

Heat index, on the other hand, is a very precise scale that is irrelevant to human factors (I.e. clothing)... its simply temperature and humidity, both of which have a direct effect on the human body's ability to cool down. I work in the middle east where the heat index can hit the 70s! (Deg C)

Here, where its very humid (100% humidity at night in the summer) every company, including mine (one of the largest in the world) uses heat index to monitor the safety of the workers. Temperature is an irrelevant stat here and has no helpful meaning for people working outside in coveralls. Heat index is everything and I have the onsite doctors take direct heat index measurements all round the work site every hour and base the work/rest schedules off of it. If the heat index hits 54 deg C, I shut down all non critical work.

[The GCW]

Wind chill factor is not bull-shit.

It is beneficial to know temperature and wind speed ahead of time because the combinations make differences. The ability for preparation increases with windchill understanding.

A prime example is when hiking up from Loveland Pass, starting at 12,000' above sea level, at 27°in calm wind, getting to the ridge at 13,000' with 30-40+ mph wind gusting higher (guessing 50 mph) and going from nearly overheating causing a person to slow down to regulate to gearing up with layers to protect exposed skin at risk. Covered areas lose heat quick; pilferaged! Gloved fingers go 1st. & it's not even cold, so there's no mittens.

The potential of getting blown off the ridge cornice to My left while I'm fighting wind chill factors is also not bull-shit.

Like yesterday.

[bauerb]

yeah, all that science that talks about the body using evaporative cooling for heat dissipation ? we all know thats fake science right? like the OP is suggesting. "real" back country skiers don't ever get hot or cold because they refuse to.

fake news:

[mikesee]

If wind chill is affecting you you need to learn how to dress, or stop shopping for clothes at Wal Mart.

Or both.

[TallGrass]

I remember something from high school chemistry along the lines of "temperature, concentration, agitation", the last two I think of air density (altitude) and relative wind speed.

Luckily I've only had frostnip, sometimes with pins and needles, sometimes with nausea during rewarming.



https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... g-20114490

[lowangle al]

If wind chill is affecting you you need to learn how to dress, or stop shopping for clothes at Wal Mart.

Or both.

I don't think you need expensive specialized clothes, I'm sure Wallmart has everything you need. You're right about needing to dress right though, and most people don't give it enough thought and dress more for the temps. I noticed this at my Grandkids little league games in PA. It can be cool September evening, 60-65 degrees with a 20 mph wind and mostly everyone is freezing in a T shirt. I'm always comfortable in my coat and hat and sometimes gloves. People say to me that being from Alaska I must be used to the cold. But the reality is that living in Ak. and spending a lot of time outside, I have a lot of respect for the weather.

[wabene]

While at an outdoor music event at Bayfront Park in Duluth on a beautiful mid 80's summer day, the wind shifted from the south to the northeast. That is directly off the big lake and the temps dropped 30 degrees in minutes. You could tell who was from Duluth from that point on, .

[bauerb]

can someone please explain to the ranchers in Montana that windchill is not real. they spend a great deal of money building wind breaks for the cattle. they also waste a lot of time bringing in the winter newborns so they don't freeze to death...from windchill when they are wet. and after you explain to the ranchers that windchill is not real , can you also explain that to the cattle? thanks in advance. looking forward to your explanations.