Wind Chill Calculator: Find Feels-Like Temperature and Frostbite Risk
Estimate exposed-skin risk: Calculate wind chill from air temperature and wind speed in °F/mph or °C/km/h with the 2001 NWS formula, plus the approximate time to frostbite.
Wind chill
-9°F (-23°C)
Frostbite on exposed skin
Low risk for most people
❄
What the wind changes for exposed skin
Feels colder by14°F
Exposure responseCover face, ears and hands
Wind chill describes heat loss from exposed skin. Objects still cool only to the actual air temperature.
What wind chill says about heat loss from skin
Wind chill is how cold it feels on exposed skin, because moving air strips heat away faster than still air. This calculator uses the formula the US National Weather Service and Environment Canada adopted in 2001, which is based on heat loss from the face at walking speed.
For the evidence, limits and practical use behind this result, read Wind Chill Explained. The weather tools guide explains when each calculator is the right one.
WC = 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75V^0.16 + 0.4275TV^0.16T in °F, V in mph at 10 m heightValid for T ≤ 50°F and V ≥ 3 mph
Know where the formula applies
- Wind chill only applies to skin. It will not cool a car engine or a water pipe below the actual air temperature.
- Cover the face first. Cheeks, nose and ears are where frostbite starts, and the formula is built around the face.
- Above 50°F (10°C) it does not apply. In warm weather, wind makes you feel cooler, but that is not what wind chill measures.
Wind chill and frostbite questions
What wind chill is dangerous?
Frostbite becomes a real risk once the wind chill reaches about -18°F (-28°C), where exposed skin can freeze in around 30 minutes. At -48°F (-44°C) and below it can happen in 5 minutes or less.
Why is there no wind chill above 50°F?
The 2001 formula was built and tested for cold conditions. Above 50°F (10°C) the heat-loss model no longer holds, so forecasters use the air temperature or the heat index instead.
Which wind speed should I enter?
The sustained wind from a forecast or weather station, which is measured about 10 m (33 ft) above the ground. Gusts are higher than the value the formula expects.
Approximate frostbite risk by wind chill (NWS)
| Wind chill | Time for frostbite on exposed skin |
|---|---|
| Above -18°F (-28°C) | Low risk for most people |
| -18°F to -32°F (-28°C to -36°C) | About 30 minutes |
| -33°F to -47°F (-36°C to -44°C) | About 10 minutes |
| -48°F (-44°C) and colder | 5 minutes or less |