Wind Chill Converter
Implements the NWS (US) and apparent-temperature (AUS) formulas side-by-side so you can compare.
Inputs
Result
A natural placement between the calculator and the explanation.
What this solves — and what it doesn't
Wind chill is the temperature your skin ‘feels’ when wind strips away the warm layer of air you’re sitting in. The 2001 NWS formula is the standard for North America; Australia uses a different apparent-temperature model that includes humidity. This calculator implements both and lets you add a sun-exposure modifier for sunny cold days (which feel warmer than NWS predicts).
How to read the result
The result is a ‘perceived temperature’ that should drive clothing choice. The bands are:
- > -5 C Mild — base layers suffice
- -5 to -15 C Cool — add wind shell
- -15 to -30 C Cold — full insulation, face cover
- -30 to -45 C Very cold — exposed skin <10 min frostbite risk
- < -45 C Extreme — exposed skin frostbite in <5 min
Limitations
- NWS formula valid for T < 10 C and W > 5 km/h. We don’t enforce that.
- Doesn’t model solar radiation on bright days directly; we add a manual offset.
- Doesn’t model wet-cold (much worse than dry-cold).
Frequently asked questions
Is wind chill a temperature?
No. It’s a perceived index. Your core temperature is still the air temperature; only skin and surface cooling are affected.
Does humidity matter for cold?
For very cold conditions, no — humidity mostly affects how fast your skin evaporates moisture. Damp cold (wet socks, mittens) is much worse than the wind chill number suggests.
What about frostbite timing?
The NWS publishes a frostbite chart based on air temp + wind chill. Use that to time exposure.