It's been about a month since my last post. Since then I have had the swine flu (I'm pretty sure) and started a new job. In that order, though they were not related. Oh, and it has gotten cold. Really, really cold. Which brings me to this:
I'm on weather.com right now and it tells me it is 13 degrees farenheit outside. I'm ok with that statement. I believe it could very well be 13 degrees. That's not what concerns me. It's what is under that. "Feels like -6." WHAT? It took me quite a lot of pondering to understand how time could be relative. I guess I was not prepared that temperature too, could be relative. How can it be one temperature out, and feel like it is another? And is this universal? If you and I are both standing outside next to each other in the 13 degree weather- do we both feel like it's -6 out? Or could it feel -5 out for me?
And this whole "wind chill" explanation isn't doing it for me. If it's 13 with no wind and -6 with wind and it's windy, guess what? It's -6 out. My question is this- if it's 36 degrees out but it "feels like" 31- does water freeze? Is it 31 degrees to the water as well? Or can only objects with souls experience the "feels like" temperature?
Please. I would like to hear your theories.
3 comments:
This is my theory:
While it is 13˚ the wind chill makes it "feel like" -6˚. correct? so, the wind obviously has an effect on what the temperature "feels like", Not what it is...for example; Two people are out in 16˚ weather, one (we'll call him Gary) is in a windy place while the other (we'll call him Phil) is not. If these two people had a guess at what the temperature is, i would say it's safe to assume that Gary would guess at least a few degree's lower than Phil due to the intensity of the cold air on his skin.
I understand what you're saying. But I guess what confuses me is- when we are told what the temperature is, where is this "reading" taking place? If the temperature given is one number and the "feels like" or "wind chill" is another, it makes it sound like the reading is in a vacuum with no wind present. But the fact is, wherever this thermometer or whatever they use is located, that is what the temperature is at that location- wind and all.
My point is, whether the wind is blowing or not, there is a correct temperature. It may fluctuate a little, but 19 degrees? Wind is just that same air moving, right? It's not colder because the wind is moving. If it's colder because the air that is moving is colder... then that's what the temperature is.
See the confusion?
I think I see. but, what I'm saying is, no matter what temperature is it's going to feel colder when the wind is blowing due the intensity of the cold air on your skin. the thermometer can't feel that intensity as far as i know.
I think it would be safe to conclude that they measure the "feels like" temperature according the wind speed(i.e. 1 degree lower for every 4MPH). Though I doubt it's an exact science.
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