Bundle Up: Use Wind Chill Charts at Sea

The crisp, cool air on a chilly day out on the water is refreshing and invigorating, but it can also be deadly. Low temperatures cause hypothermia and frostbite; moving air only accelerates these serious conditions.

Consulting wind chill charts helps you understand your risk in cold weather. Here, we explain the dangers associated with high wind chills and share tips for protecting yourself when the temperature drops.

What Is Wind Chill?

“Wind chill” is the perceived decrease in air temperature that people feel on exposed skin because of flowing air.

The “wind chill temperature” refers to the rate at which wind and cold cause heat loss in the body. It approximates how cold the air feels on the skin.

As the wind increases, it removes heat from the body, driving down skin and internal body temperatures.

For instance, if the temperature is 0°F and the wind blows at 15 mph, the wind chill temperature is -19°F. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin freezes in a few minutes.

Wind chill affects inanimate objects as well. Objects like car radiators and water pipes cool down faster because of wind chill but won’t cool below the air temperature.

For example, if the outside temperature is -5°F, your car’s radiator temperature won’t be lower than that air temperature, even if the wind chill temperature is -31°F.

Understand Wind Chill Charts

Having wind chill charts available helps you calculate your wind chill temperature.

Reading wind chill charts is simple. Just follow these steps:

1. Find the value closest to your outside air temperature.
2. Find the value that most closely represents the present wind speed.
3. The wind chill temperature is the value where these columns and rows meet.

Protect Yourself Against Wind Chill

The lower the wind chill temperature, the higher your risk of frostbite (which occurs when body tissues freeze) and hypothermia (which happens when your core body temperature falls below 95°F). Both conditions are painful and life-threatening.

Stay aware of the wind chill temperature to take the proper precautions. For example:

• Layer warm, dry clothing.
• Cover body parts susceptible to frostbite, including fingers, toes, ears, cheeks, and nose.
• Stay hydrated.
• Keep as dry as possible.
• Take shelter or regular breaks from high winds.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Look out for signs of hypothermia and frostbite in yourself and your passengers.
• Use wind chill charts.

Increase Your Safety in All Conditions

Using wind chill charts to understand and prepare for the risks of cold-weather boating is only one way to keep yourself and your passengers safe.

You’ll learn more about staying safe in all weather conditions when you take one of Mariners Learning System’s Coast Guard-approved captain’s license courses. Start your journey now and check out our offerings.