|
Send in YOUR nature question today! |
|
You'll be astonished!
Click here
to read |
 |
As you know, temperature measures the hotness or coldness of our environment, whether indoors or out. But the “wind chill temperature” (WCT) tells us what it actually feels like when we go outside. Wind has a cooling effect on your body, so the more the wind blows the colder your skin becomes. The WCT determines how much heat is being lost from your exposed skin due to the effects of wind and cold. It is only defined for temperatures at or below 50 degrees F and wind speeds above 3 mph.
On November 1, 2001, the National Weather Service introduced a newly updated WCT index that is now being used in the United States and Canada. It is more accurate than the old index, which was based on outdated research done in 1945. The new research relies on modern advances in science, technology, and computer modeling, and focuses on many specific factors. For example, it:
 |
Is based on a human face model (the old research measured the cooling rate of water) |
|
Calculates wind speed at an average height of five feet, the typical height of an adult human face |
|
Incorporates modern heat transfer theory (heat loss from the body to its surroundings) |
|
Uses a consistent standard for skin tissue resistance |
|
Lowers the calm wind threshold to 3 mph |
|
Assumes no impact from the sun |
The new Wind Chill Chart also includes a frostbite indicator, showing the points where temperature, wind speed, and exposure time will produce frostbite on humans. For example, a temperature of 0° F and a wind speed of 15 mph will produce a wind chill temperature of -19° F. Under these conditions, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes!
The helpful experts at the National Weather
Service have a Web page dedicated to wind chill factor. Visit them at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml
to see (or print) the new Wind Chill Chart for yourself. You can also compare
the new chart to the old one, and check wind chill temperatures with their
online Wind Chill Calculator.
DID
YOU KNOW?
What’s the difference between frostbite and hypothermia? Hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls below 95 degrees F. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness, and exhaustion. Frostbite occurs when your body tissue actually freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Get medical attention immediately for hypothermia or frostbite! You can determine either condition by taking your temperature. If you can't get help quickly, begin warming the body SLOWLY. Warm the body core first, NOT the extremities. Warming extremities first drives the cold blood to the heart and can cause the body temperature to drop further and even lead to heart failure. Get the person into dry clothing and wrap in a warm blanket covering the head and neck. Do not give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any HOT beverage or food. WARM broth and food is better. About 20% of cold-related deaths occur in the home. Children under the age of two and adults over the age of 60 are most susceptible to hypothermia. Hypothermia can set in over a period of time. Keep the thermostat above 69 degrees Fahrenheit, wear warm clothing, eat food for warmth, and drink plenty of water (or fluids other than alcohol) to keep hydrated. |
Copyright © 2003 by John W. Schlim Jr.
Send your question to us at feedback@gigglemoose.com. If you'd like, include your name, age, town, and state, and we'll mention you along with your question! Remember, we won't rent or sell your name or e-mail address to third parties. We value your privacy.