Cold Stress Exposure Limit Calculator

Work out cold stress exposure limit instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cold Stress Exposure Limit Calculator

The wind chill index expresses the combined cooling effect of temperature and wind as an equivalent still air temperature, using the formula 13.12 + 0.6215T - 11.37V^0.16 + 0.3965T V^0.16 with temperature in Celsius and wind in kilometres per hour. Frostbite times are then read from the resulting index rather than from air temperature.

Formula

Wind chill

WCI = 13.12 + 0.6215 T - 11.37 V^0.16 + 0.3965 T V^0.16

Worked example

With the default values below, Cold Stress Exposure Limit Calculator returns Wind chill equivalent temperature of -24.17. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Air temperatureaccepts -60–10 °C: -15 °C
Wind speedaccepts 1–120 km/h: 20 km/h

Results

Wind chill equivalent temperature: -24.17 °C
Time to frostbite on exposed skin: 120 min
Risk category: Moderate — cover exposed skin
Cooling below air temperature: 9.17 °C

Step by step

1Values used
2Wind chill
3Wind chill equivalent temperature= -24.17 °C
4Time to frostbite on exposed skin= 120 min
5Risk category= Moderate — cover exposed skin
6Cooling below air temperature= 9.17 °C

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Preliminary estimate only. Cold work scheduling, warming breaks and clothing must follow the applicable cold stress standard and a competent person's risk assessment.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Preliminary estimate only. Cold work scheduling, warming breaks and clothing must follow the applicable cold stress standard and a competent person's risk assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Cold Stress Exposure Limit figure worked out?

WCI = 13.12 + 0.6215 T - 11.37 V^0.16 + 0.3965 T V^0.16. The wind chill index expresses the combined cooling effect of temperature and wind as an equivalent still air temperature, using the formula 13.12 + 0.6215T - 11.37V^0.16 + 0.3965T V^0.16 with temperature in Celsius and wind in kilometres per hour.

Does wind chill affect objects too?

No. Wind chill only describes heat loss from exposed skin. Water pipes and equipment cool to the air temperature, not the wind chill value.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 2 inputs: Air temperature, Wind speed. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.