🥶 Wind Chill Calculator
Enter the temperature and wind speed to get the wind chill — how cold it feels — and the frostbite risk.
Wind chill (feels like)
6°F
-14°C
Frostbite risk
Cold — cover up
Wind chill is how cold it feels as wind strips heat from your skin, from the 2001 NWS/Environment Canada formula. It's defined for T ≤ 50°F (10°C) and wind above 3 mph. Frostbite times assume exposed skin. 🔒 In your browser.
How the wind chill calculator works
Wind strips the thin layer of warm air next to your skin, so a cold, windy day feels colder than a still one at the same temperature. The tool uses the 2001 National Weather Service / Environment Canada wind-chill formula, which is based on a model of heat loss from the face, and flags how quickly exposed skin can get frostbite.
The formula is defined for temperatures at or below 50°F (10°C) and wind above 3 mph; outside that range it shows the actual temperature. Wind chill measures how cold it feels, not an actual air temperature — but frostbite risk is real, so cover exposed skin when the numbers drop.
Frequently asked questions
What is wind chill?
The "feels like" temperature in cold, windy weather. Wind carries heat away from your skin faster, so 20°F with a 15 mph wind feels like about 6°F. It reflects how quickly you lose body heat.
How is wind chill calculated?
With the 2001 NWS/Environment Canada formula: WC = 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75V^0.16 + 0.4275T·V^0.16, where T is °F and V is wind speed in mph. It models heat loss from the human face.
At what wind chill does frostbite happen?
Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in about 30 minutes at a wind chill near −18°F, in 10 minutes near −35°F, and in 5 minutes at −60°F or below. Cover up well below freezing.
Does wind chill affect objects or just people?
Only living things that generate heat. Wind chill describes how fast a warm object (like your body) loses heat; it can't cool an object below the actual air temperature, so a car or pipe won't freeze faster than the real temperature allows.
When does wind chill apply?
The official formula is defined for air temperatures of 50°F (10°C) or below with winds above 3 mph. In milder or calmer conditions the effect is negligible and the actual temperature is used.