How the wind chill cools you down

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Windchill measures the rate at which the human body loses heat. It loses that heat through a process called convection. Under calm conditions, body heat radiates outward, creating a thin insulating layer of warm air close to the skin. This layer maintains relative warmth. When the air temperature reaches 12 degrees, the actual and feels-like temperatures are equal.

Wind disrupts this protective layer. With winds gusting to 20 mph and temperatures at 12 degrees, windchill values will drop to 6 degrees below zero.

The wind removes the warm air layer surrounding the body and evaporates moisture from the skin surface, accelerating heat loss and intensifying the sensation of cold. It can also dry out your skin and lips because it pulls moisture from the air around it.

Remember, the windchill affects only humans with exposed skin. Inanimate objects such as pipes, railings, and raised surfaces experience the actual air temperature, not the windchill value. The cold weather advisory issued earlier this week reflects the dangerous wind chill conditions expected across the region.

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