Wind Chill

Advisory & Warning Criteria | Wind Chill Calculator | Wind Chill Chart

Wind Chill is the term used to describe the rate of heat loss on the human body resulting from the Dress for Winter combined effect of low temperature and wind. As winds increase, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving down both the skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. While exposure to low wind chills can be life threatening to both humans and animals alike, the only effect that wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as vehicles, is that it shortens the time that it takes the object to cool to the actual air temperature (it cannot cool the object down below that temperature). Additional information, including PDF brochures and Wind Chill Charts, can be found on the National Weather Service Wind Chill Page.

Wind Chill Advisory and Warning Criteria for the
NWS Sioux Falls County Warning Area

During times of adverse cold weather, wind chill advisories and warnings are issued by the National Weather Service to alert the general public of the impending threat. As with other winter weather events, advisories are issued when the wind chill is more of a nuisance rather than life-threatening, while the warnings are issued when the wind chill can be life-threatening if an individual is not properly dressed for the cold. The National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, SD, will issue advisories and warnings based on the following criteria.

Wind Chill Advisory: Issued for wind chill values from 20 below zero and 34 below zero.
Wind Chill Warning: Issued for wind chill values of 35 below zero or colder.

Wind Chill Calculator:

Air Temperature
Wind Speed

Wind Chill Temperature:

Here is how you calculate the Wind Chill Index:

Wind Chill T(wc) = 35.74 + 0.6215T - 35.75(V^0.16) + 0.4275T(V^0.16)

where T(wc) is the Wind Chill in degrees F, V is the Wind Speed in MPH, and
T is the temperature in degrees F.

Wind Chill Chart

Temperature (F)
Wind Speed (mph)	Calm	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	0	-5	-10	-15	-20	-25	-30	-35	-40	-45
	5	36	31	25	19	13	7	1	-5	-11	-16	-22	-28	-34	-40	-46	-52	-57	-63
	10	34	27	21	15	9	3	-4	-10	-16	-22	-28	-35	-41	-47	-53	-59	-66	-72
	15	32	25	19	13	6	0	-7	-13	-19	-26	-32	-39	-45	-51	-58	-64	-71	-77
	20	30	24	17	11	4	-2	-9	-15	-22	-29	-35	-42	-48	-55	-61	-68	-74	-81
	25	29	23	16	9	3	-4	-11	-17	-24	-31	-37	-44	-51	-58	-64	-71	-78	-84
	30	28	22	15	8	1	-5	-12	-19	-26	-33	-39	-46	-53	-60	-67	-73	-80	-87
	35	28	21	14	7	0	-7	-14	-21	-27	-34	-41	-48	-55	-62	-69	-76	-82	-89
	40	27	20	13	6	-1	-8	-15	-22	-29	-36	-43	-50	-57	-64	-71	-78	-84	-91
	45	26	19	12	5	-2	-9	-16	-23	-30	-37	-44	-51	-58	-65	-72	-79	-86	-93
	50	26	19	12	4	-3	-10	-17	-24	-31	-38	-45	-52	-60	-67	-74	-81	-88	-95
	55	25	18	11	4	-3	-11	-18	-25	-32	-39	-46	-54	-61	-68	-75	-82	-89	-97
	60	25	17	10	3	-4	-11	-19	-26	-33	-40	-48	-55	-62	-69	-76	-84	-91	-98
	*Frostbite occurs in 15 minutes or less*

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Wind Chill

Wind Chill Calculator:

Wind Chill Chart