Windchill at Leh

Abstract

Windchill, a measure of cooling power of atmosphere for any given condition of  temperature and wind, has been calculated for the mountain station Leh, situated in the Himalayan ;mountain range located at an altitude of 3514 m above mean sea level at Lat. 34 deg. 09' and Long. 77 deg. 34'. Based on this an equivalent temperature; which would be felt on exposed human body in a 5 kmph wind -the amount of ventilation in an otherwise calm condition, has been calculated. The daily data for eleven year period of 1958 to 1968 {collected by India Met Dep) were taken and calculations have been done for maximum and minimum temperature epochs. The following conclusions have been anived at:

            (1) Windchill is more frequent in maximum temperature epoch with highest frequency October.

            (2) Windchill is less frequent in minimum temperature epoch with least frequency in January.

            (3) Magnitude of windchill is greater in the minimum temperature epoch.

            (4) Wind and temperature are independent so that there is no tendency to increase windchill on coldest month or on the coldest day.

            (5) Maximum windchill was found to be 14 deg. C.

            (6) In the annual variation, the coldest windchill periods are controlled by wind and the least windchill period by temperature.