BALTIMORE — With all the talk about wind chill this week, have you ever wondered how it is calculated? Above is a graph from the National Weather Service with an example temperature across the top and wind on the left side. When you combined the two numbers, you can figure out a wind chill. An example would go like this: if it is 10° out and there is a 15 mph wind it will feel like seven degrees below zero!
Wind chill only affects heat emitting bodies. Things like people, pets, and running vehicles. We create a bubble of warm air around us. When you get a breeze it pushes that warmer layer of air away and your body has to reheat the air. Your body then works like it is that much colder outside. Wind chill can cool you faster, but it can't lower the temperature of anything past the air temperature.
It is important to cover any exposed skin when wind chill is a factor.
