Wind Chill Calculator
Calculate wind chill temperature
Wind Chill
19.0°F
Caution — dress warmly
Quick Facts
- •Wind chill only applies below 50°F with wind > 3 mph
- •Frostbite risk begins at -18°F wind chill
- •Cover exposed skin when wind chill is below 0°F
Wind Chill Factor
Wind chill measures how cold it feels on exposed skin when wind is factored in. The NWS wind chill formula accounts for heat loss from the body. At 30°F with 15 mph wind, it feels like 19°F. Frostbite can occur in 30 minutes at wind chills below 0°F.
Understanding the wind chill calculator
Wind chill describes how fast exposed skin loses heat, not how cold the air actually is. Moving air strips away the thin warm layer your body maintains at the skin surface, so a calm day at minus 5 C feels very different from the same temperature in a 30 km/h wind. The current formula was adopted in 2001 after trials measured heat loss from human faces rather than water bottles.
Worked examples
Wind chill at 20 F with a 15 mph wind
- 1Formula: 35.74 + 0.6215T - 35.75V^0.16 + 0.4275T × V^0.16.
- 2V^0.16 for 15 mph is 1.5033.
- 335.74 + (0.6215 × 20) = 48.17.
- 448.17 - (35.75 × 1.5033) + (0.4275 × 20 × 1.5033) = 48.17 - 53.74 + 12.85 = 7.28.
A wind chill of about 7 F, which is 13 degrees colder than the air.
Frostbite time at minus 20 F with a 25 mph wind
- 1The wind chill works out near minus 50 F.
- 2At that value, exposed skin can freeze in about 10 minutes.
- 3Below minus 60 F wind chill the window drops to about 5 minutes.
Exposed skin freezes in roughly 10 minutes, so cover all skin before going out.
Wind chill in Fahrenheit
Air temperature across the top, wind speed in mph down the side.
| Wind | 40 F | 20 F | 0 F | -20 F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mph | 36 | 13 | -11 | -34 |
| 10 mph | 34 | 9 | -16 | -41 |
| 15 mph | 32 | 6 | -19 | -45 |
| 25 mph | 30 | 3 | -24 | -51 |
| 35 mph | 28 | 0 | -27 | -55 |
| 45 mph | 27 | -2 | -30 | -58 |
Frostbite risk by wind chill
| Wind chill | Time to frostbite on exposed skin |
|---|---|
| -18 F and warmer | Low risk with normal clothing |
| -19 to -34 F | 30 minutes |
| -35 to -59 F | 10 minutes |
| -60 F and colder | 5 minutes |
Frequently asked questions
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This calculator is for educational and reference purposes only. Always verify critical calculations independently.