Canada’s Wind Chill Index
Canadians are well aware of how much misery the wind chill can add to an already frigid
day in winter. Knowing the wind chill is in fact an essential part of Canada’s weather
forecasts, as it provides everyone with the knowledge they need in order to stay safe in
our worst weather.
It is for this reason that the Canadian Wind Chill Index is an accurate, easy to
understand tool, that and reflects the needs of Canadians. It was created based on
research that used human volunteers and advanced computer technology, combined
with recent medical advances in the understanding of how the body loses heat when
exposed to cold. As a result, the wind chill observations and forecasts that you hear are
now much more representative of what you actually feel once you step outside.
The index is expressed in temperature-like units, the format preferred by most
Canadians. By equating the current outdoor conditions to an equivalent temperature
with no wind, the index represents the degree of "chill" that your skin senses. For
example, if the wind chill is -20°C while the outside temperature is only -10° C, it means
that your face will feel as cold as if it was a calm day (no wind) with a temperature of
-20° C. (See the numerical chart on wind chill values estimate for more information).
The wind chill index enables Canadians to take action and avoid injuries from the cold.
This includes dressing warmly to avoid frostbite and hypothermia, and making informed
decisions based on accurate wind chill information, such as whether it is safe for
children to play outdoors.
On cold and blustery winter days, listen for the wind chill index in your local weather forecast!
Canada's WindChill Index
Canada's Humidex
The humidex is an index (a computed value as opposed to something measured)
devised to describe how hot or humid weather feels to the average person.
The humidex combines the temperature and humidity into one number to reflect the
perceived temperature. It takes into account these two important factors that
affect summer comfort. It is therefore a better measure of how stifling the air
feels than either temperature or humidity alone. A humidex of 40 with, for example,
a temperature of 30 degrees means that the sensation of heat when it is 30 degrees
and the air is humid is more or less the same as when it is 40 degrees and the air
is dry. We must be careful not to depend on this interpretation alone: it is a mere
indication of physiological reactions, not an absolute measure.
Source of this information.
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