It's Cold Out

[Destin]

The local forecasters here keep pushing back the next time we'll see the freezing mark here.

Fortunately, I live about 300 yards from the local river and about a mile from Long Island Sound. The water temps are still in the low 40s, so it helps to moderate the true cold from reaching us. The lowest temperature we've had this week is 6*F. With the wind chill tacked on, we were well below zero.

-7 here in Pgh. this morning

Same in my town in western New York. Needs to get warm soon.

 

[deeky]

I'm just curious, is it normal, where you're from, to compare temperatures included wind chill?

I suppose it depends on how much of a difference you usually see between the two. We get a lot of wind here (30 miles per hour is not at all uncommon) so it does impact our experience quite a bit. Or perhaps it's just more of an American thing since we often like to be a little dramatic on the whole.

 

[KmH]

If there is no wind a boundary layer forms around us that helps protect us from the cold.
Wind prevents that boundary layer from forming.
That's why the wind has a significant impact on how cold the air feels, and on how fast exposed skin will freeze.
The higher the wind speed the lower the wind chill factor.

A big part of the reason to wear layers when it's really cold out is so that boundary layer forms and stays put next to our body under our clothes.
So if it's windy out one or 2 layers need to be wind proof, or at least wind resistant.

 

[Destin]

If there is no wind a boundary layer forms around us that helps protect us from the cold.
Wind prevents that boundary layer from forming.
That's why the wind has a significant impact on how cold the air feels, and on how fast exposed skin will freeze.
The higher the wind speed the lower the wind chill factor.

A big part of the reason to wear layers when it's really cold out is so that boundary layer forms and stays put next to our body under our clothes.
So if it's windy out one or 2 layers need to be wind proof, or at least wind resistant.

Yep. And people love to make fun of the fact that my heavy winter jacket has a fur lined hood, but it serves a purpose. It blocks the wind and helps maintain the boundary layer around your face.

 

[ceemac]

You need to include the wind chill so you know when there's a danger of frostbite. I feel sorry for all you people getting wind. It gets pretty cold where I am, but there's no wind or dampness, so it doesn't feel that bad. It hit -32C on new years eve, but we just put on a coat and hat to watch people setting off fireworks. It gets cold but winter can still be an enjoyable season here.

 

[stk]

I know what wind chill means. I'm just saying that if a similar thread was made in a norwegian forum, nobody would mention wind chill...and I was curious why that is. I guess the answer is cultural differences.

We don't have any limits for when we get frostbite either, but the youngest kids in kindergarten needs to play and sleep inside if it's below 14° F.

 

[KmH]

Heck! Almost balmy. 48° today and just 6 mph of wind out of the south.

 

[DarkShadow]

It's been well below freezing here in CT for a month that even the salt water shoreline has frozen as far out as one can see and also along The CT river is ice frozen with ice berg like chunks of ice and some towns people have been evacuated that live along the river. its so bad that the cost guard is involved trying to break some of the ice up. the biggest worry is when it melts of massive flooding.