Wind chill. Sensationalism?

[Valjean]

This time of year, in my hemisphere, at least, weather reports always feature wind chill indices.
Evidently, wind chill's calculated differently in different countries, even by different agencies, but, essentially, it's a calculated heat loss rate, on naked skin.

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,
So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism. They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

Shouldn't they just post air temperature and wind speed, and let people decide what to wear for themselves?

Discuss.

 

[vulcanlogician]

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,
So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism.

Because the amount of clothes people wear varies from person to person. Lots of times, even when it's cold and snowy, I venture out with hands and face exposed.

It's not bogus sensationalism. The wind cools you. In certain weather conditions, that matters.

They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

What?

 

[Revoltingest]

I've long complained bitterly about this "wind chill"
crap replacing actual temperatures.
Just today, this gave me the vapors...

114 degrees below zero? Arctic outbreak crushes record at Mount Washington...

it was actually -47F....not -114F.
Still, it's colder than a witch's tit or a well digger's elbow.

 

[Revoltingest]

It's not bogus sensationalism. The wind cools you. In certain weather conditions, that matters.

It's partly bogus.
At -40F actual temperature, it's that cold whatever you do.
Batteries lose capability. Fuel begins to gel.
At -40F RealFeel, one can just get out of the wind.
Batteries & fuel scoff at wind, & call it limp wristed.

That last sentence was for @Evangelicalhumanist.

 

[Windwalker]

essentially, it's a calculated heat loss rate, on naked skin.

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,

You don't have to be fully naked outside, which is generally illegal, in order to have exposed skin somewhere! Hell, just two nights ago I had to park my car down the street from the Tai Chi studio I go to, and had to walk into the strong wind. I had not put my balaclava on and was all bundled up for an artic walk. I was only going to just walk from my car to the door a few feet. It nearly ripped my face off, and by the time I reached the door it was outright painful.

So no, it's not sensationalism at all. It's a warning to people how brutal it can be out there, so what may normally just be a couple degrees below zero on a calm day, is nothing at all like what it is on a windy day, so you need to take extra precaution. Conditions like that are dangerous.

So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience?

People traveling need to be aware of the dangers if they for instance break down somewhere, the risks of not preparing for those kinds of temps with wind chills. People do get exposed to it. And what they normally dress in those temps is not going to be enough with the windchill. It's not the that radical or unusual of a thing. I for one am glad they warn us.

Shouldn't they just post air temperature and wind speed, and let people decide what to wear for themselves?

Discuss.

Isn't that exactly what telling them the windchill temp is doing??? They just calculate it for you, rather than making you trying to figure that out for yourself using graphs and charts.

 

[pearl]

So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism. They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

Right now here in Massachusetts we are experiencing a 30' below wind chill.
Anyone venturing out without the proper protective clothing risks frost bite or worse, hypothermia. Its not bogus, its actual effects on the unprotected body. Frost bite on exposed skin can take place in minutes. Wind chill also affects animals in the same way, especially those of short hair.

 

[Quintessence]

Do you wear a ski mask every time you go out in winter? No? You've got naked skin then on your face. How scandalous!

Around here, the kids can barely bother to wear hats. Their moms and dads didn't teach them right, I say! Wasn't ever let out of the house in winter without a hat - makes a huge difference on winter survivability and comfort.

 

[vulcanlogician]

It's partly bogus.
At -40F actual temperature, it's that cold whatever you do.
Batteries lose capability. Fuel begins to gel.
At -40F RealFeel, one can just get out of the wind.

It's literally just a warning that the wind makes it feel [estimate here] much colder than the temperature would suggest. It's additional information, not a stand in for the actual temperature.

 

[F1fan]

As a cyclist I can say that wind chill is a huge consideration. There is a huge difference between riding at 10-15 mph on offroad trails or cyclocross versus 20-45 mph on a road bike. The wind chill experienced by moving through air is signficant. We have to dress according to all these weather factors. There is special clothing for low temp riding.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Do you wear a ski mask every time you go out in winter? No? You've got naked skin then on your face. How scandalous!

Around here, the kids can barely bother to wear hats. Their moms and dads didn't teach them right, I say! Wasn't ever let out of the house in winter without a hat - makes a huge difference on winter survivability and comfort.

It's like people forgot winter survival 101.

 

[Revoltingest]

It's literally just a warning that the wind makes it feel [estimate here] much colder than the temperature would suggest. It's additional information, not a stand in for the actual temperature.

But instead of treating it as additional info,
The media sensationalize it as "the" temperature.
The real...actual temp is buried in the details.

 

[PureX]

This time of year, in my hemisphere, at least, weather reports always feature wind chill indices.
Evidently, wind chill's calculated differently in different countries, even by different agencies, but, essentially, it's a calculated heat loss rate, on naked skin.

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,
So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism. They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

Shouldn't they just post air temperature and wind speed, and let people decide what to wear for themselves?

Discuss.

I think the idea is to help people understand how to dress for the conditions. A 30 degree temp with no wind and low humidity is very different from a 30 degree temp with a steady 20 knot wind and high humidity. And it requires that we dress very differently for it. The wind chill factor helps people understand what temperature they should dress for.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It's literally just a warning that the wind makes it feel [estimate here] much colder than the temperature would suggest. It's additional information, not a stand in for the actual temperature.

Might be the "partly bogus" part. It is something, but it's not an objective measurement.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But instead of treating it as additional info,
The media sensationalize it as "the" temperature.
The real...actual temp is buried in the details.

That's an issue of journalists abusing it for ratings.

 

[JustGeorge]

Now, nobody's going to go out naked,

You sure about that?

Years ago, my mom and her late husband got into a fight in the middle of the night. It was snowing and very cold, yet he charged out of the house in... a sweat shirt. And absolutely nothing else. She called the police to report it(it wasn't safe to wander mostly nude at those temperatures), and when asked to give a description she replied "He's not wearing pants. How hard can he be to identify?"

I only find the wind chill obnoxious when I can't find the real temp. Otherwise, it can be helpful, because 5F feels a lot different on a sunny windless day than it does on an overcast, windy one. The 'RealFeel'(what our weather station calls it) can be handy then.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

But instead of treating it as additional info,
The media sensationalize it as "the" temperature.
The real...actual temp is buried in the details.

OH MY GOD!!!!!

I am shocked, SHOCKED! I tell you, that the media has sensationalized something!

I'm so scandalized, I shall ALERT THE M...eh...oh, wait...

 

[metis]

My understanding is that the two thigs local news viewers are interested the most is people dying and the weather, and if they die because of the weather that's a near perfect bi-fecta for them.

BTW, I try and get out and do my walk regardless of the temperature 5 or 6 days a week. It was quite "brisk" this morning at 15 F, and the wind made it more "thrilling". But if you do this regularly, your body adjusts, thus it is a Nordic custom to try and get out for an hour or so daily.

 

[Viker]

This time of year, in my hemisphere, at least, weather reports always feature wind chill indices.
Evidently, wind chill's calculated differently in different countries, even by different agencies, but, essentially, it's a calculated heat loss rate, on naked skin.

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,
So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism. They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

Shouldn't they just post air temperature and wind speed, and let people decide what to wear for themselves?

Discuss.

It gets cold, man! (Can't find the cold emoji)

I think they mean the way wind will knock away the body's natural heat protection on exposed/less clothed areas, like the face or uncovered hands. I've noticed that in really low temps with a lot of wind that I get colder faster no matter the layering I use.

 

[Revoltingest]

OH MY GOD!!!!!

I am shocked, SHOCKED! I tell you, that the media has sensationalized something!

I'm so scandalized, I shall ALERT THE M...eh...oh, wait...

Are your pearls OK?

 

[Subduction Zone]

This time of year, in my hemisphere, at least, weather reports always feature wind chill indices.
Evidently, wind chill's calculated differently in different countries, even by different agencies, but, essentially, it's a calculated heat loss rate, on naked skin.

Now, nobody's going to go out naked, and your actual heat loss rate will depend on what you're wearing, and which way you're facing,
So what's the point of posting a cooling rate nobody's going to experience? Seems bogus to me. Mostly dramatic sensationalism. They're trying to make it appear colder than it actually is.

Shouldn't they just post air temperature and wind speed, and let people decide what to wear for themselves?

Discuss.

When and where I grew up we would regularly have -20 F lows every winter and -50 F windchills every winter. We knew that you did not want to expose bare skin to the wind for very long I use to have a hooded jacket with snorkel:

Who cares about wind chill? It was still cold but the windchill factor was all but eliminated.

Not very stylish, but then neither is losing the tip of your nose.