The Wind Chill Factor

As I write it is minus 27.3 outside, probably closer to minus 40 with the windchill. A very informative CBC article about how Environment Canada calculates and defines wind chill says:

The wind doesn't actually change the temperature outside, but the temperature we feel is not the air temperature but our skin temperature. A person will sense that it's colder because the wind steals body heat by blowing away warm air that surrounds the skin.

It is not the same for inanimate objects- cars trees or rocks- they will remain the same temperature regardless of the wind.

Backcountry skiing, this weekend, has been a disappointment. On Saturday it was because the road into Sugar Bowl trailhead had not been plowed. Leaving my tiny car parked on the road was not an option because of the snowplows. We ended up paying to use the lifts at Tabor mountain.

Today at 6 am it was minus 15. Despite Environment Canada's cold wave weather warning we headed back out to Sugar Bowl. This time we were in Gary’s four wheel drive pickup. As we left town we watched the mercury plunge to minus twenty. We could only imagine how much colder the wind would make it feel.

In the few minutes it has taken me to write these words the outside air temperature has gone down to minus 28.4

Update: Here is a link to an article from environment Canada about the Windchill Factor. They even have a formula for you to calculate the Windchill facto based on the air temperature an the speed of the wind. Interesting stuff.