Wind Chill Calculator
Feels-like temperature combining air temperature and wind speed.
Formula
WC = 13.12 + 0.6215T − 11.37V^0.16 + 0.3965T·V^0.16
How to use
- 1Enter the air temperature.
- 2Enter the wind speed.
- 3Choose metric (°C, km/h) or imperial (°F, mph).
- 4Read the wind chill, frostbite risk and exposure warning.
About this calculator
On a still day, minus five degrees is bracing but manageable. Add a stiff wind and the same air feels bitterly, dangerously colder, because moving air strips heat from exposed skin far faster than calm air. Wind chill captures this feels-like cold. This calculator computes it from temperature and wind speed, then reports the frostbite risk and exposure warning.
Formula explained
The tool uses the modern North American wind chill equation. In metric: WC = 13.12 + 0.6215·T − 11.37·V^0.16 + 0.3965·T·V^0.16, with T in °C and V in km/h (an imperial version uses °F and mph). The V^0.16 term makes wind’s effect taper: doubling an already strong wind adds less chill than the first gusts. It applies at or below 10°C (50°F) with wind above 4.8 km/h (3 mph).
Worked example
−5°C with a 20 km/h wind produces a wind chill several degrees below −5, so you dress for the wind chill, not the raw temperature.
Tips & notes
- Cover exposed skin - face, ears, hands - when wind chill drops below about −10°C.
- Keep dry, since damp clothing speeds heat loss.
- Watch for early frostbite signs: numbness or pale, waxy skin.