Wind chill index is no exaggeration  From out of nowhere the
National Weather Service rolled out an updated wind chill
temperature (WCT) in November 2001. As Chief meteorologist for
NOAA in the Twin Cities I was stunned that I was excluded from
the discussion on this significant change. I believed the old
index did exactly what it was designed to do, significantly
exaggerate the dangerous impact of the combined cold
temperatures and wind.  You can read the scientific background
on this change in the story linked below.  Wind Chill
Temperature  Essentially two things were considered beyond the
initial study which established the index in 1945. One, the
reported winds are taken from instruments extending about 30
feet above the ground. Our exposed skin is usually limited to
the first six to seven feet above ground level. Accounting for
friction, the formula reduces the impact of the wind by a
considerable factor. Secondly, the WCT applies laboratory tests
on human skin tissue.  To demonstrate the magnitude of t