By Cheryl Jahn

Windchill explained

Windchill explained

Dec 1, 2022 | 3:41 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Northerners hang on everything about the weather, especially in the winter. We need to know what’s in store. And when we check out the prediction for the day, you can’t help but notice something most don’t. While the temperature says it’s minus 21, there’s a bit more to the story. A very important part of the story. It’s called windchill, which shows minus 34.

“So wind chill, basically, is how cold it feels under windy conditions, as if there were no wind,” says Dr. Peter Jackson. “So and the wind chill is always lower than or equal to the air temperature. So say the air temperature is -15, but the wind chill is -25. That just means that the actual temperature is -15. If you had a thermometer measuring it, it would be -15. But it feels to us as low as -25 as if there were no wind.”

And there’s a biological reason for that. It’s technically called the laminar boundary layer.

“All surfaces are surrounded by something and this is technically called a laminar boundary layer. So in that laminar boundary layer, maybe only a few millimeters thick, the heat flow through that layer is by conduction of heat and the air is a very poor conductor. Like the air is very inefficient at conducting heat, but the air, when it’s in motion, is very good at removing heat,” says Dr. Jackson. “So that laminar boundary layer under calm winds is deeper. And so there’s kind of an insulating layer of air around our bodies under calm winds, which limits the heat loss. And so that’s why it doesn’t feel so cold on a windless day. But if it gets windy, the wind erodes that laminar boundary layer and sweeps the heat away very efficiently.”

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There is a formulized chart that calculates the actual temperature coupled with speed to determine windchill, or how cold we feel. That’s why those who familiar with the outdoors under most inclement weather know how best to dress in windchill conditions.

“Loose clothing that’s that’s insulating,” says Adam Hawkins, First Aid Instructor with Overhang. “So and a common thing people might do is they want to keep their feet warm. So they put on another layer of socks, know their socks, and they’ve got five pairs of socks on and their feet are still really cold because some socks are constricting down and limiting blood flow. So you don’t want overly constrictive clothing, but nice insulating clothing.”

Wool rather than cotton as it is far more absorbent, mittens rather than gloves. But if you find yourself in unexpected conditions without the proper clothing, what should you be mindful of? Frostbite.

“So, you know, frostbite in the field sometimes it’s a little tricky to really I.D., but some of the warning signs we’re gonna look for. So is that sort of our skin becoming pale and almost ashen and just that prolonged exposure as well. So you see that pale, ashen skin. It might feel firm and especially that progresses to be bit of a waxy texture.”

According to Dr. Jackson, the frigid weather will be around well into next week but, thankfully, not the wind.