Question on wind chill factor?

Question

If the temperature is - say - at freezing point but the chill factor makes it feel like -6, what effect will it have on you. Will you be subject to the likelihood of dying from exposure that would be caused by zero degrees or - 6 degrees ?

Answer 1

If the wind chill factor is -6 then that's the temperature your body will have to cope with - not zero. Dress according to the temperatures. You won't die in -6 unless you're daft enough to wear clothes that expose most of your flesh or wear summer clothes.

Answer 2

In response to the previous answer, there is a such thing as a wind chill temperature, and there is an actual formula that is used to calculate it (http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/life/windchill.htm#c). That said, the formula is adjusted once in awhile based on new discoveries, and there are many (sometimes valid) arguments that it is misrepresentative, but it does exist. The intent of the wind chill temperature is to tell you what exposed skin will feel like. For example, if the temperature is 0 and the wind chill is -6 as in the question, that means that your exposed skin will feel the same as it would if it was -6 degrees for the air temperature with no wind.

What happens physically is your warm body allows a thin layer of warm air to form right above the surface of your skin. This layer of air acts to insulate you. However, the faster the wind, the more this layer is blown away and the thinner this layer of insulating warm air next to your skin becomes. Thus, you feel colder with increasing wind speed even though the actual air temperature remains the same. The wind chill is an attempt to measure this. If you take a thermometer out into the cold air, it measures the actual air temperature because that thin layer of warm air doesn't exist around a cold thermometer that's the same temperature as the surrounding air (and the thermometer has no feeling like we do! :).

Answer 3

At first, it will feel like -6 C. As long as you are healthy, and not shivering too much or too long, the effect is like -6. That is because the chill factor assumes that your skin is acting normally.

When you get so cold that your hands become numb, and your breathing is quick, then things change. The blood flow in the skin becomes less, and the chill factor calculation is not designed for this condition. This is called Stage 1 hypothermia.

In Stage 2, the shivering becomes violent, you are uncoordinated, and slow. You might be a little confused, or not. Your lips, ears, fingers or toes may become blue. This is a very dangerous stage, and needs emergency care.

In Stage 3, shivering often stops, your thinking is slow and confused, with incoherent or irrational behavior. You start to die.

You can have hypothermia when the air is as warm as 16 C, especially if you are wet or do not have enough clothing, or are weak or sick. It is even possible to have hypothermia at 22 C!

Answer 4

First, are you talking about F or C. If the freezing point is in F and the chill factor is 38 degrees cooler then you need to bundle up really well to keep from being too cold. You will not die just from normal exposure to that type of cold weather. You would have to be out in it for a very long time to begin the bodies cool down that will lead to sleep and eventually freezing to death.

Answer 5

You can die from exposure regardless of the temperature. Wind chill measures the effective cooling of the air. Depending on what you are wearing, and how long you are exposed, you could "freeze" to death at temperatures above freezing.

It is your body temperature that is important, not the air or wind chill.

But, the colder it is, and the windier it is, the faster you cool.

Answer 6

There is no such thing as wind chill factor. It is a meaningless term to describe how cold you might be for a certain temp and wind speed. It is totally subjective and has no scientific basis whatsoever.

Answer 7

This time o' year, my favorite cliche is simply "Yep...gonna be Winter no matter HOW WE vote!" Of course ever'thin' IS relative. Here in NE, even on the shore where the ocean is a mighty tempering influence, we don't stop wearin' Jersey Shorts 'n' flip flops (-; WITH a quilted or fleece vest, mind ya! ;-) to take out the dogs 'til somehwere mid-February! By then, couple months o' freeze has made it finally sink in! Po' bebbe...c'mere (((((( rubbin' yer shoulders ))))))! :-) Cute write...

Answer 8

wind chill factor means zilch