We are part of The Trust Project.
FARGO — A cool breeze on a hot summer day gives a wonderful feeling. That same wind speed in winter can be torture. When it is cold, our body's cardiovascular system is working hard to keep us from freezing. A delicate balance is necessary to send warming blood to outer extremities while also keeping the vital internal organs and the brain from cooling.
Wind makes all of this much harder because wind whisks away body heat from exposed skin. These areas require even more blood flow, which increases the risk of the inner organs getting cold. Hypothermia is a lot more likely in windy weather because of this. For this same reason, it is also harder to keep our homes comfortable in windy weather. The wind chill index is a confusing method for quantifying the effect of wind on exposed skin, and wind chill is wrought with problems. However, the cooling effect of wind is undeniable.
