Ch-Ch-Changes, Goodbye Wind Chill Watches, Warnings, & Advisories

[William Monfredo]

Wind chill watches and warnings are now extreme cold watches and warnings, respectively; a wind chill advisory is now a cold weather advisory, per NWS.
They say, "These changes seek to clarify that cold can be dangerous with or without wind, addressing a common misconception that extreme cold is only tied to colder temperatures when there is wind." Hmm, I didn't realize that was a problem.
And further, "Dangerously cold weather can accompany or follow wintry precipitation, and the cold messaging can be overshadowed by the wintry precipitation."
Really? I didn't know about overshadowing either. I'd be curious to know some of your thoughts.

 

[Boris Konon]

There is a difference though w/ extreme cold w/ or w/o wind chill. It can be 0 F and a calm wind. That is much more tolerable for at least a short time say if you just happen to run out with a light jacket on for a minute, than 25 F w/ winds 25G40 mph. When the wind is strong, that wind chill cold stings into you immediately, and all you want to do is run back inside!

And really, some people are a lot more tolerable to cold than others, and can do just fine outdoors for a long time in extreme cold conditions. People do that w/ winter recreation and sports all the time. And if you are bundled up correctly, many do just fine outside w/ minimal risk. So telling us to limit time outside is a blanket statement and seems rather restrictive messaging. Stating something like, "caution is advised when going outside" is better overall. It is suggestion not directly telling (ordering) people what to do.

And it doesn't take extreme cold to get frostbite or hypothermia. Heck, it doesn't even have to be cold at all to get hypothermia (soaking wet at 50 F will do it in a short time).

 

[William Monfredo]

There is a difference though w/ extreme cold w/ or w/o wind chill.

Indeed. I think giving a "cold shoulder" to wind chill loses a level of specificity. Wind chill is its own separate entity; strong breezes can readily evaporate water from the skin resulting in evaporative cooling and a feeling of chill. Additionally, very shallow layers of body warmth next to the skin get disrupted, blow away, enhancing the cold feeling. So IMO, the distinction between these two types of cold situations remains important.