Wind Chill Calculator
Enter air temperature and wind speed to find the feels-like wind chill temperature.
Input Data
Results
Wind chill vs wind speed (air temp 5°C)
Chart notes:The faster the wind, the lower the feels-like temperature; at a fixed air temperature, raising wind from 5 to 50 km/h can drop the feels-like temperature by several °C.
At a glance:The Wind Chill Index combines air temperature and wind speed to estimate the temperature the human body actually feels in the wind. Wind strips away the warm air layer next to the skin and speeds up convective heat loss, making it feel colder than the measured air temperature. This calculator uses the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) 2001 wind chill formula.
Formula
Metric (T in °C, V in km/h): WCT = 13.12 + 0.6215·T − 11.37·V^0.16 + 0.3965·T·V^0.16.
Imperial (T in °F, V in mph): WCT = 35.74 + 0.6215·T − 35.75·V^0.16 + 0.4275·T·V^0.16.
Both are unit-converted versions of the same relationship and give consistent results; this calculator computes internally in metric.
$$T_{wc} = 13.12 + 0.6215\,T - 11.37\,V^{0.16} + 0.3965\,T\,V^{0.16}$$How to Use
- Enter the current air temperature (switch between °C / °F / K).
- Enter the wind speed (switch between km/h, m/s, mph or knots).
- The calculator shows the feels-like wind chill temperature; you can switch its display unit too.
- If the air temperature is above about 10°C or the wind is very light, the wind chill effect is negligible and the value is for reference only.
Wind chill quick reference (feels-like °C; air temp × wind speed)
| Air temp (°C) | 5 km/h | 10 km/h | 20 km/h | 30 km/h | 40 km/h | 50 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -10 | -12.9 | -15.3 | -17.9 | -19.5 | -20.8 | -21.8 |
| -5 | -7.3 | -9.3 | -11.6 | -13.0 | -14.1 | -15.0 |
| 0 | -1.6 | -3.3 | -5.2 | -6.5 | -7.4 | -8.1 |
| 5 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 | -0.7 | -1.3 |
| 10 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
Computed with the NWS metric wind chill formula; wind chill is negligible above 10°C.
Case Studies
5°C, wind 20 km/h → about 1.1°C
Metric formula: WCT = 13.12 + 0.6215×5 − 11.37×20^0.16 + 0.3965×5×20^0.16.
20^0.16 ≈ 1.615, so WCT ≈ 13.12 + 3.11 − 18.37 + 3.20 ≈ 1.1°C.
That is about 4°C colder than the actual air temperature — bring an extra layer outdoors.
0°C, wind 40 km/h → about −7.4°C
40^0.16 ≈ 1.862, WCT ≈ 13.12 + 0 − 21.17 + 0 ≈ −7.4°C.
Strong wind makes a 0°C environment feel near −7°C; exposed skin can frostbite within 30 minutes.
FAQ
Is wind chill an actual temperature?
No. Wind chill is an estimate of how cold the body feels, reflecting faster heat loss from wind — not the measured air temperature at a weather station.
Why does stronger wind feel colder?
Wind removes the warm layer of air next to the skin, letting cooler air touch the skin directly and accelerating convective heat loss, so it feels colder.
Is wind chill equal to air temperature with no wind?
Approximately. Below about 4.8 km/h (3 mph) the wind chill formula no longer applies and the feels-like temperature is roughly the actual air temperature.
How is wind chill different from the heat index?
Wind chill applies to cold, windy conditions (feels colder); the heat index applies to hot, humid conditions (feels hotter). Both are feels-like temperature metrics.
Related Tools
References
Content reviewed by the Calculatorism editorial team. Results are for reference only; please refer to the relevant authorities for the official figures.