Wind chill is how cold it feels on exposed skin when wind adds to the cold. The chart below gives the National Weather Service (NWS) wind chill for air temperatures from 40°F down to −45°F and winds from 5 to 60 mph. Shading shows how fast frostbite can set in, and the calculator works in °F or °C.
Wind chill chart (°F, wind in mph)
Frostbite time: 30 minutes10 minutes5 minutes Unshaded: no frostbite time shown on the NWS chart.
| Wind (mph) | 40°F | 35°F | 30°F | 25°F | 20°F | 15°F | 10°F | 5°F | 0°F | -5°F | -10°F | -15°F | -20°F | -25°F | -30°F | -35°F | -40°F | -45°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 36 | 31 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 1 | -5 | -11 | -16 | -22 | -28 | -34 | -40 | -46 | -52 | -57 | -63 |
| 10 | 34 | 27 | 21 | 15 | 9 | 3 | -4 | -10 | -16 | -22 | -28 | -35 | -41 | -47 | -53 | -59 | -66 | -72 |
| 15 | 32 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | -7 | -13 | -19 | -26 | -32 | -39 | -45 | -51 | -58 | -64 | -71 | -77 |
| 20 | 30 | 24 | 17 | 11 | 4 | -2 | -9 | -15 | -22 | -29 | -35 | -42 | -48 | -55 | -61 | -68 | -74 | -81 |
| 25 | 29 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 3 | -4 | -11 | -17 | -24 | -31 | -37 | -44 | -51 | -58 | -64 | -71 | -78 | -84 |
| 30 | 28 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 1 | -5 | -12 | -19 | -26 | -33 | -39 | -46 | -53 | -60 | -67 | -73 | -80 | -87 |
| 35 | 28 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | -7 | -14 | -21 | -27 | -34 | -41 | -48 | -55 | -62 | -69 | -76 | -82 | -89 |
| 40 | 27 | 20 | 13 | 6 | -1 | -8 | -15 | -22 | -29 | -36 | -43 | -50 | -57 | -64 | -71 | -78 | -84 | -91 |
| 45 | 26 | 19 | 12 | 5 | -2 | -9 | -16 | -23 | -30 | -37 | -44 | -51 | -58 | -65 | -72 | -79 | -86 | -93 |
| 50 | 26 | 19 | 12 | 4 | -3 | -10 | -17 | -24 | -31 | -38 | -45 | -52 | -60 | -67 | -74 | -81 | -88 | -95 |
| 55 | 25 | 18 | 11 | 4 | -3 | -11 | -18 | -25 | -32 | -39 | -46 | -54 | -61 | -68 | -75 | -82 | -89 | -97 |
| 60 | 25 | 17 | 10 | 3 | -4 | -11 | -19 | -26 | -33 | -40 | -48 | -55 | -62 | -69 | -76 | -84 | -91 | -98 |
Wind chill calculator (°F or °C)
What the chart means
- Formula: wind chill (°F) = 35.74 + 0.6215T − 35.75(V0.16) + 0.4275T(V0.16), with T the air temperature in °F and V the wind speed in mph.
- Limits: NWS defines wind chill only for air temperatures at or below 50°F and wind speeds above 3 mph. The wind speed is the standard reading at 33 ft, which the NWS formula adjusts to face height (5 ft).
- Sunshine: NWS notes that bright sunshine may raise the wind chill by 10°F to 18°F; the chart assumes no sun.
- Frostbite needs freezing air. NWS: you can only get frostbite if the actual air temperature near your skin is below freezing. Above freezing a low wind chill still risks hypothermia.
- Objects do not cool below air temperature. A car radiator or water pipe at −5°F with a −31°F wind chill will not drop below −5°F; wind only makes it cool faster.
Working outside in the cold? OSHA’s cold stress guide covers the warning signs of frostbite and hypothermia and first aid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wind chill at 0°F with a 15 mph wind?
−19°F. NWS says exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes at that wind chill.
At what wind chill does frostbite happen in 5 minutes?
It depends on the wind as well as the wind chill. On the NWS chart, for example, −30°F air with a 30 mph wind (wind chill −67°F) is in the 5-minute zone, while −45°F air with a 10 mph wind (−72°F) is in the 10-minute zone.
Can you get frostbite above 32°F if the wind chill is below freezing?
No. NWS says the air temperature itself must be below freezing for frostbite, though hypothermia is still possible.
Sources
- National Weather Service. Wind Chill Chart (effective 1 November 2001), weather.gov PDF; formula, limits and FAQ from “Understanding Wind Chill”, weather.gov, read 12 November 2026. US Government works.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Winter Weather: Cold Stress, osha.gov.
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026. Numbers in the tables are our arithmetic from the sources listed. How we check our work: methodology and corrections. Spotted an error? Please let us know.