Wind Chill Calculator
NWS 2001 formula, with frostbite timings.
NWS 2001 formula, with frostbite timings. Enter air temperature and wind speed for the wind chill and the frostbite risk on exposed skin.
The formula applies at or below 50 °F.
Feels like
6.2 °F
-14.3 °C · 13.8 degrees colder than the air
This is the US National Weather Service 2001 formula, which replaced an older one that substantially overstated the effect. It models heat loss from bare skin on a walking adult at face height. Wind chill does not lower the actual temperature. Water does not freeze faster in wind if it is already above freezing, and a car engine will not cool below the air temperature — only living things with a heat source lose warmth faster. The frostbite times assume exposed skin. Covering up removes almost all of the effect, which is why the practical advice is always about coverage rather than about the number.
How the Wind Chill Calculator works
Enter air temperature and wind speed for the wind chill and the frostbite risk on exposed skin. The formula is only defined at or below 50 °F and above 3 mph, and out-of-range input is refused rather than extrapolated.
Also known as: feels like temperature calculator · wind chill chart · frostbite time calculator · wind chill formula
Where to go next
The Wind Chill question rarely arrives on its own. These are the ones that usually come with it:
- Heat Index Calculator — What the air actually feels like, and when it is dangerous.
- Dew Point Calculator — The humidity figure that actually predicts comfort.
- Percentage Calculator — Every common percentage question in one place.
- Age Calculator — Exact age in years, months, days, and total units.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How is wind chill calculated?
By the US National Weather Service 2001 formula, which models heat loss from bare skin on a walking adult at face height. It replaced an older formula that substantially overstated the effect.
Does wind chill actually lower the temperature?
No — and this is the most common misunderstanding. Wind removes heat faster from anything warmer than the air, but nothing cools below the actual air temperature. Water will not freeze in a wind chill if the air is above freezing.
Why does it not apply above 50 °F?
Because the formula is only validated at or below that. In warm weather moving air cools by helping sweat evaporate, which is a different mechanism entirely and one the heat index handles.
How quickly does frostbite happen?
At −18 °F wind chill, roughly 30 minutes on exposed skin; at −35 °F, about 10; below −50 °F, about 5. Those times assume bare skin — covering up removes nearly all of the risk.
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