Calculator
Wind Chill Calculator
Find out how cold it actually feels, using the U.S. National Weather Service formula.
What is wind chill?
Wind chill is how cold the air actually feels on exposed skin, accounting for how wind speeds up heat loss from the body — the air temperature itself hasn’t changed, but moving air strips away the thin layer of warmed air next to your skin faster than still air does, making it feel colder.
Frequently asked questions
How is wind chill calculated?
This calculator uses the U.S. National Weather Service formula, which combines air temperature and wind speed (measured at a standard 5 feet above ground) into a single "feels like" temperature. It's based on how quickly the body loses heat under those conditions, not just a rough guess.
Why does the note mention 50°F and 3 mph limits?
The NWS formula was derived from cold-weather conditions and loses accuracy outside its tested range. Above 50°F (10°C), wind has little meaningful cooling effect on perceived temperature, and below about 3 mph (5 km/h), there isn't enough airflow for the wind chill effect to apply meaningfully.
Does wind chill affect objects, like car engines or pipes?
No — wind chill is specifically a measure of how fast a body loses heat, which only applies to living tissue capable of generating its own warmth. An inanimate object like a car radiator or a water pipe will cool to the actual air temperature regardless of wind, not the wind chill temperature.
At what wind chill does frostbite become a risk?
The NWS frostbite guidance generally flags wind chills of -18°F (-28°C) as the point where exposed skin can experience frostbite within about 30 minutes, with the timeframe shrinking quickly as wind chill drops further. Covering exposed skin becomes important well before reaching that threshold.
The NWS formula is most accurate for temperatures at or below 50°F (10°C) and wind speeds of 3 mph (5 km/h) or more.