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Wind chill lookup
Air temperature and wind speed — the feels-like temperature and frostbite risk.
REFERENCE TABLE · WEATHER · SAFETY
Wind Chill Chart & Calculator
When the air is 0°F and the wind blows 15 mph, exposed skin feels −19°F — and can freeze in 30 minutes. That is the National Weather Service wind chill chart talking, and every cell in the table below is computed with the NWS formula, so it matches the official chart exactly. Use the lookup to check any temperature and wind, or work backward from a “feels like” temperature. Tip: the table prints cleanly — Ctrl/Cmd+P for a pocket chart.
The full NWS wind chill table (°F)
Air temperature down the side, wind speed across the top. Every value is the official NWS wind chill index: 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75(V0.16) + 0.4275T(V0.16). Shaded by frostbite risk: −19°F and colder can freeze exposed skin in 30 minutes or less.
| Air temp | 5 mph | 10 mph | 15 mph | 20 mph | 25 mph | 30 mph | 40 mph | 50 mph | 60 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
| 35°F | 31 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
| 30°F | 25 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
| 25°F | 19 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 20°F | 13 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | -1 | -3 | -4 |
| 15°F | 7 | 3 | 0 | -2 | -4 | -5 | -8 | -10 | -11 |
| 10°F | 1 | -4 | -7 | -9 | -11 | -12 | -15 | -17 | -19 |
| 5°F | -5 | -10 | -13 | -15 | -17 | -19 | -22 | -24 | -26 |
| 0°F | -11 | -16 | -19 | -22 | -24 | -26 | -29 | -31 | -33 |
| -5°F | -16 | -22 | -26 | -29 | -31 | -33 | -36 | -38 | -40 |
| -10°F | -22 | -28 | -32 | -35 | -37 | -39 | -43 | -45 | -48 |
| -15°F | -28 | -35 | -39 | -42 | -44 | -46 | -50 | -52 | -55 |
| -20°F | -34 | -41 | -45 | -48 | -51 | -53 | -57 | -60 | -62 |
Frostbite bands (NWS): −19 to −39°F → 10–30 min; −40 to −53°F → 5–10 min; −54°F and colder → under 5 min. Wind chill applies to people and animals — it cannot push objects below the actual air temperature; it only gets them there faster.
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“Feels like” reverse lookup
The forecast says −19°F feels-like — what is the actual temperature?
The 60-second rule
Dress for the wind chill, not the thermometer. At the defaults (0°F, 15 mph) the chart reads −19°F — the exact line where the NWS says exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes. Colder or windier pushes you into the 5–10 minute band fast: −10°F at 30 mph is already −39°F. Wind chill cannot make a car radiator colder than the air — but it can make your face much colder, much sooner.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Wind chill | 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75V0.16 + 0.4275TV0.16 | −19°F at the defaults — what exposed skin feels. |
| Frostbite band | NWS shading thresholds | High — 10 to 30 min at −19°F. |
| Reverse lookup | T = (W − 35.74 + 35.75V0.16) / (0.6215 + 0.4275V0.16) | −19°F at 15 mph → the air is 0°F. |
Who uses this
- Parents: the school-bus stop test — −19°F wind chill means full face coverage, no bare skin.
- Outdoor workers: construction, delivery, and utility crews planning breaks and layering for the feels-like temp.
- Runners and cyclists: deciding whether the workout moves indoors — frostbite on a 45-minute run is a real risk past the 30-minute line.
- Pet owners: short walks only once the chart drops into the high band; paws and ears freeze too.
Accuracy & limitations
The table is the official NWS Wind Chill Temperature Index (2001, tested on human volunteers in wind-tunnel trials) — the values are exact, not estimates. But the index assumes a specific scenario: an adult face, walking speed, clear night, no sunlight. Sunshine can make it feel warmer; wet clothing or fatigue makes frostbite arrive sooner than the bands say. It is only defined for 50°F and below with winds of 3 mph or more — above 50°F or in calm air, the thermometer is the feels-like temperature. And it applies to living skin only: your car will not get colder than the air temperature, whatever the wind chill says.
Cite this calculatorBright Side Kit. “Wind Chill Chart & Frostbite Calculator (NWS).” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "Wind Chill Chart & Frostbite Calculator (NWS)." https://brightoolbox.com/wind-chill-chart/ Accessed October 23, 2026.Frequently asked questions
What is the wind chill formula?
The National Weather Service formula is 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75(V0.16) + 0.4275T(V0.16), with T in °F and V in mph. Every cell in the table above is computed with it — 0°F at 15 mph gives −19°F, exactly like the official NWS chart.
At what wind chill does frostbite occur?
Exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes at −19°F wind chill — the NWS 30-minute line. Colder is faster: 10–30 minutes from −19 to −39°F, 5–10 minutes from −40 to −53°F, and under 5 minutes at −54°F and below.
Is 0 degrees with wind worse than 0 degrees calm?
Yes — dramatically. Calm 0°F is just 0°F. With a 15 mph wind it feels like −19°F, with a frostbite clock running. With a 30 mph wind it is −26°F. Wind strips the warm air your body heats next to your skin.
Can wind chill freeze my car or pipes?
No — wind chill cannot push an object below the actual air temperature. A −31°F wind chill at −5°F air will not freeze your radiator any harder than −5°F would; it only gets there faster. Wind chill is a living-skin measure.
What should I wear at a −19°F wind chill?
No exposed skin: balaclava or face mask, goggles or glasses, insulated mittens (warmer than gloves), and layered loose clothing with a windproof shell. That is the 30-minute frostbite line — a school-bus wait or a dog walk is long enough to matter.
Does wind chill apply above freezing?
The NWS index is only defined at 50°F and below. Above that, wind makes you feel cooler by evaporation, but there is no official wind chill value — and no frostbite risk to track.