Wind chill is an attempt to measure the effect of combinations of low temperature and wind on humans or animals. When forecasters say the "wind chill is -4 degrees Celsius," they are not saying that the chilled object is cooled to -4 degrees. A wind chill temperature is not some different kind of temperature. Wind chill does not repeal the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which says that heat cannot "flow" to a warmer object.

This only means that if the wind chill temperature is -4 degrees Celsius it means that because of the wind the temperature feels like -4 degrees Celsius.

Another way to think of it: If wind alone could really cool things, we wouldn't need refrigerators to keep food cool when the temperature was around 40 or colder; we be able to use fans, which are a lot cheaper to build and operate.

Copyright © Malta Weather Services 2003