Outrageous-Outside61 t1_j7055f8 wrote on February 3, 2023 at 2:52 AM

Reply to comment by Twombls in Kingdom folks: drip your faucets! Dry your wood, stock up on supplies, check on your neighbors... by mister_record

Based on what, how many clothes your wearing? Your BMI? Hydration level?

I’ll be outside working all day tomorrow, I’ll let ya know how I survive. Honestly this isn’t anything spectacular. Yes windchill can matter, but I’d much rather see the actual temperatures, sustained wind speed and gusts speeds than a map showing windchill.

Twombls t1_j705m4a wrote on February 3, 2023 at 2:56 AM

Its based on a calculation of wind speed to air temperature. I find it pretty fucking useful as someone that spends time outside in the winter as a quick reference

https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold-wind-chill-chart

Outrageous-Outside61 t1_j706ckr wrote on February 3, 2023 at 3:02 AM

Yes, I understand what it is. I also understand that is is stupid shit for sensationalist meteorologists.

https://slate.com/technology/2019/01/wind-chill-warning-temperature-useless.html

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-is-wind-chill-real/

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2016/1/19/10788306/wind-chill-meaning

Twombls t1_j707z37 wrote on February 3, 2023 at 3:15 AM

I mean yeah those articles state the obvious fact that -30 windchill /= -30 weather. It doesn't work great as an exact number. However when temperatures get into extreme lows and you add wind in obviously chances of frostbite and shit are higher.

Theres a reason why ski areas like jay are closing. They normally don't close in -20 weather. its normally cold af up there. But also -20 days here are usually still. Tomorrow is going to be insanely windy and they decided to preemptively close. Im sure they used a more scientific metric than wind chill to gauge the closing. But its much easier to say "hey -40 wind chill tomorrow we wont open"

Outrageous-Outside61 t1_j708u48 wrote on February 3, 2023 at 3:22 AM

Dude they’re closing because of the wind gust speeds. They would be closing if it was 20 degrees out tomorrow.

You went from saying windchill is important because it’s a metric of how quickly the weather would kill you (not at all true btw), to saying it’s just an easier way to say it’s gonna be colder than a witch’s tit. It’s okay to admit your wrong.