Understanding the feels like temperature: Weather & Radar’s sophisticated cold measurement tool

Ever wonder why 35°F can feel like 20°F? Discover how Weather & Radar’s feels like temperature gives a truer sense of the chill by factoring in wind, humidity, and cloud cover.

When stepping outside on a frosty day, the actual air temperature only tells part of the story. To truly understand how cold it feels, meteorologists often refer to the feels-like temperature. Unlike a basic thermometer reading, which measures the air temperature, the feels-like temperature incorporates additional environmental factors like wind speed, humidity, and cloud cover, offering a more accurate picture of the conditions you’ll experience outdoors.

The feels like temperature is especially useful in winter because it considers how the human body perceives cold. For example, wind plays a significant role in making temperatures feel colder than they are. This is captured by the wind chill factor, which combines air temperature and wind speed to estimate the cooling effect on human skin.

However, wind chill alone doesn’t account for the whole story. On damp or overcast days, factors like humidity and cloud cover can further impact how cold it feels. For instance, high humidity can intensify the sensation of cold by increasing heat loss from your body. Likewise, a cloudy sky prevents sunlight from providing even slight warmth, making the chill feel even sharper.

Weather & Radar's feels like temperature provides the most comprehensive and practical measure of how cold it truly feels outdoors. By taking into account not just the wind chill but also humidity and cloud cover, this metric helps people prepare for and cope with chilly conditions more effectively.

Tap this link to see what the feels like temperature is near you.