Temperature or Windchill factor

[Gezzah]

Does windchill have an effect on creating ice or should we just be looking at the temperature??

[scavengerj]

Windchill is only used to express what the air temperature "feels" like to the human body given a certain wind speed.

[snot rocket]

temperature only. wind hill does not effect inanimate objects only the living. has something to do with the wind blowing against exposed skin, making perspiration evaporate much faster and blood vessels constricting faster, thus reducing circulation to the exposed area. so it is a physiological response.
        the wind however can slow the ice making process over any open water regardless of temps.

          Snot Rocket
         

[ice dawg]

It should help it freeze faster because the wind draws heat from the ice. It will affect your engine block and it should do the same with ice.

[snowman3406]

I would agree that wind should help ice form by moving the heat away from the ice/water more quickly once its iced over.  Snow on the ice slows down the process by insulating it, so why wouldn't wind on an uncoverd water help it form? It can make ice a mess if its windy and not competely frozen up though, just like drilling tons of holes and having the ice chips freeze up in piles around them.

[Sluggo]

Windchill can only bring anything to ambient temperature.  In the case of water or an engine block, it can wick away heat quicker to bring down the temp but once there is a skim of ice on the water windchill should have zero affect.  In the case of an engine, once the heat has dissipated the engine will be at ambient temp.

or so I believe...........

[scavengerj]

Not saying "windchill" will cause ice to form any faster or slower, just that "windchill" was developed as a means to give a number as it applies to how cold it "feels" to a human. Sure moving air will dissipate heat quicker from a surface, but "windchill" doesn't. As far as water goes, the air is still only say 32°. It may be moving at 10mph which will move heat away from the surface quicker, but the air temp hasn't changed and the movement of the surface of the water will take longer to freeze due to the molecules of water moving instead of resting. Then again, wouldn't the friction being created by said moving molecules also cause the moving water to create heat due to friction, therefore slowing the freezing process?

[scavengerj]

As Sluggo stated, it is the "ambient" temperature that will effect an object's temperature.

[Gezzah]

Dont worry guys, I have six inches of ice and rain in the forecast.... I will just have to bring my chisel!!

[MeadowPikeman]

windchill has to do with the speeding up heat exchange, anything warm will cool down faster due to wind, the temperature with wind chill is what is feels like, but there would be a cooling affect on any warm object, ever blow on a hot bowl of soup. wind does affect inanimate objects though it was -59 F here less than a week ago due to wind and causes many problems in an plant due to malfunction becuase of the cold, the wind aids in cooling the equipment for sure. steel exposed to the wind will burn you skin like a hot iron.

[scavengerj]

Better then what I have had down here. Was finally able to get out on 4" and now that is gone. Most places a little further north of me have more but, they are calling for upper 40's to low 50's druing the day and not much below freezing at night if that low in some places with more rain coming  Might be a short season down here.

Kind of like adding cream to your coffe keeps it warmer longer...sure if it is colder then the temperature of the coffee it will cool it down but, the average temperature, once the initial cooling has taken effect, will last longer then if no cream had been added. The molecules slow down and do not dissipate the heat as fast. This is always some weird stuff 
Gets even more fun when talking K° vs. C° vs. F°

[pooley]

FYI- ice will not form when the wind is blowing across it.( unless it's less than a couple miles an hour) ice forms on still, cold nights. there must be a link here somewhere.

[rgfixit]

A wind-chill factor of 25° F (- 4° C) will not freeze water if the air temperature is 35° F (2° C). Water changes state according to the temperature of the body of the water. In this case, the water and air temperature are about the same — too high to freeze water.

Shark....you out there???
RG

[ice dawg]

Windchill can only bring anything to ambient temperature.  In the case of water or an engine block, it can wick away heat quicker to bring down the temp but once there is a skim of ice on the water windchill should have zero affect.  In the case of an engine, once the heat has dissipated the engine will be at ambient temp.

or so I believe...........

Several of us had a conversation about wind chill a while back. The guys that believed that wind chill had nothing to do with the temperature of an engine block couldn't explain why a vehicle stored in an unheated garage will start much better than one left out in the wind. My pickup will start very easily when it is -4 F outside, but -4 F with a 30 mile per hour wind it will grunt a bit and the power steering pump  will whine. I guess I have no explanation for this other than wind chill.  I would like to hear a good explanation though.