Does the Windchill Factor affect Outdoor Garden Plants?
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- Опубликовано: 2 фев 2023
- Have you ever wondered if/how the Windchill Factor effects your outdoor garden plants? Let's find out!
Windchill Calculators:
Canada: weather.gc.ca/windchill/wind_...
USA: www.weather.gov/safety/cold-w...
Hey guys! Thanks for watching our latest video. This one took FOREVER to make, so I really appreciate you all checking it out. :)
Update: Despite double checking about a million times, there's still a typo. I guess it's inevitable. lol
Thanks Brenda Montanye for noticing "Forstbite" at 7:40. It should have been "Frostbite". 🤦♂️
If anyone notices any others, please feel free to add them here :)
That's so funny - it wasn't too far into it and I was like, "Wow, I bet this took a long time to make!"
Lol. Oh goodness, did it ever. 😅I really appreciate you noticing!🙂
@@BackToReality I hate when forests bite. 😱
🤣
This was probably the best explanation of wind chill I’ve ever heard. Great work! I really enjoyed watching (even thought I knew what the wind chill actually was before I began watching).
Critters in the garden are from the absence of fence! That was a good one! Nice to see you again. As always, I enjoyed the video very much. Thank you for the explanation.
Yes, i live in a tropical country
No, i don't have a vegetable garden in the moment. Few kitchen herbs, but they're easily manageable.
Yes, I'm watching this video carefully as soon as I left my job.
Amazing video as usual ❤️
This video is so well done. I watched it with my kids to explain why it feels so much colder outside today.
Well done. You are very talented.
You have a gift for explaining complex concepts in simple ways, well done and thank you
Thanks HAL, I really appreciate that!
Love your channel. The quality is incredible and always super educational. Amazing work!
Thanks so much. I *really* appreciate that!
I'm a chemist ,.and so im a overly verbose nerd at times., over the years, I've tried explaining wind chill to my non technical wife, and it just ends up irritating us both.
Next time she's arguing that wind chill affects our saplings, I'll have her watch this video. VERY well done
my wife thinks it affects the car an whether it should be plugged in (the block heater). I don't argue with her.
Great explanation, getting just as deep as needed to explain it. Nice, really nice as usual.
In Spain we call it "sensación térmica" (thermal feeling) and, as you say, we use it both ways as our summers can get really hot, mainly in Southern areas.
Thanks fadetounforgiven!
And that's super interesting! I really like "thermal feeling". It seems much more accurate to me (even though it's only the cooling affect that really matters here in Canada. lol)
wind chill = "feels like" temperature. I still laugh when the weather man mentions the "feels like" temp. Thanks for explaining why I shouldn't dismiss this information quite so quickly :)
typo "forstbite" @ 7:40
I've been quite curious how much warmth the roosters in my greenhouse were contributing. Today, not bright and sunny out, it was 0°F outside and 25° inside. It had been quite cold and windy the 18 hours or so before that. Inside, without the wind, it "felt like" balmy.
Shoot! I double checked my spelling like a million times. Thanks for letting me know ;)
I really enjoy your videos, because I know I'm going to learn something interesting and useful :-)
You always do such a great job of explaining concepts clearly, but without dumbing them down! I especially appreciate the animations; I'm a visual person, so those really help me understand the subject matter more easily.
I love your channel. I always learn something from every video. The visual effects are top notch. Thank you for all the hard work you do making outstanding videos.
Thank you! Perfect timing as we are having a pretty severe wind chill this weekend in the Maritimes. Good to know my fruit trees should be ok, even if I wouldn't be
Your videos are curated with care and attention. Great job! Thank you for the efforts 5 thumbs up!
I feel like this was the most scientific presentation I've seen from you; however, most of your vids are remarkably well written with scientific findings and descriptions.
This is a great explanation of why I live in California.
Lol.
It's currently -25C (-13F) outside here. So yeah, we're envious. :)
@@BackToReality I just checked my balcony thermometer at 1:45 pm on Feb 3: 78 degrees F.
@@BackToReality My family left Montreal when I was 2 years old.
I don’t know why you didn’t get more views on that video. It’s fantastic how you explained everything and made it very simple to understand. Great job!
I’d love to see the same video about the effect of the sun if there’s enough interest from your audience.
Thanks for the great video.
Interesting (as always). I see many videoes about protecting your tender crops from light frosts by covering them with some sort of fabric, but I guess that might still be a valid point. Well, not protecting the plant itself, but protecting the soil below it (i.e reducing the heat transfer from the soil below the plant to the colder air, and thus keeping the soil temperature higher for longer, since the soil "generates" heat - and also in this process keeping the ambient temperature around the plant higher)
Thanks LiveYourLife!
I think you're right. Thomas Westgard made a similar point (about the ground temperature) a few comments below. I should also mention that the actual air temperature still affects plants, so if it drops near or below freezing (or whatever temperature your plants are no longer hardy at), that would still be an issue. But if the windchill factor is below and the actual temperature is above, then you're still good :)
Isn't that (and the maintain humidity) the reason why we usually mulch around our plants?
We always enjoy your videos, and I was extra happy to see you have the long gap from the last one.
Your explanation of complex information is awesome. Here a video idea that is misunderstood by so many gardeners. Seed starting times and days to maturity. Or perfect growing condition days vs lost days. Looking forward to seeing it 😊. Keep up the good work!
That video is awesome. Very , very educational for children.
Quite a timely video! Real feel is -20 outside today
My mom has been very confused about windchill. Claiming it would affect the cars. I think this video would be helpful for her. Very clear. I knew about the general concepts, but now I understand them better. Thank you. Your presentation was excellent.
If I understood the explanation correctly, the wind would blow away the heat layer around the car. Considering that a car is basically a greenhouse (at least when it is closed), I assume the wind would make the surface lose the internal heat faster.
But, as he explained, you can never go below the ACTUAL temperature.
Or did I understand something wrong?
@@ricardobejeraste3569 Yes. The car would cool to the ambient temperature faster, but not below. The disagreement occurred after my car had been outside for several hours. When she was leaving for work, she demanded I move my car into the garage due to the wind chill. I told her wind chill wouldn't affect the car as it is not an issue for non-living things. She didn't believe me. Disagreement escalated. It's been years since this happened and fortunately she now recognizes that I am a smart cookie and has told me so many times.
Very interesting! You are a good teacher.
Hey guys. As per usual very interesting and educational. Respect from Africa 🇿🇦
Great video. Very educational and well put together. Alot of this I knew but as separate nuggets of knowledge. It was great watching this video and have you put all these pieces together in an interesting way. Thanks!
Great video yet again!! Your videos are always interesting and keep me watching right to the end. Thank you. 🙂
This is an EXCELLENT explanation!
That’s actually an interesting question. Probably doesn’t matter unless the plant gets damaged by the wind
top notch..... well done! may God bless this channel
Thank you so much!! This just helped so much cause I was worried about the -40F windchill we just got yesterday
I'm definitely going to try growing peaches from seed. Looking forward to more long form content!
Brilliant explanation 😊 thank you !
Very interesting, thanks for explaining that!
Actually, I was just thinking about wind chill affecting plants about a week ago. Then I remembered a bit of high school science about kinetic energy and heat transfer and quickly realized, wind chill would not effect an outdoor plant. The same way it does not affect an inanimate object, like my car, as your video so eloquently illustrated.
The wind chill can effect plants in my insulated cold frame, not the plants directly, just the cold frame. The wind will accelerate the heat loss of the cold frame as it did your cup of grass tea.
As always, another well planned and informative video.
Stay Well!!!
Thank you very much for this explanation! I can now explain it better when someone will ask the question during planting season (temperature of 10, feeling 0 - will it kill the plant). I envy your graphic capability! Your videos are always wonderful!
Great video... I live in the Caribbean so no much worries, but is perfect
I literally was thinking about the wind chill today!
Awesome video, thank you 🙏
O I get it!!!! Always wondered how it was figured. I always learn so much from you--and you make it fun, too! Is teaching your day job?
Excellent video!!
In spanish we often use "thermal sensation" "Sensación térmica". It is not related to cold or hot as you said :3
And it can be affected by solar radiation or humidity.
Request: I would love to see your take on cover crops in a cold climate :)
I already know the answer, but I love your videos so I am still gonna watch and maybe still learn something new 😊
Amazing video!
Excellent!
Thanks for a another great video. But I missed the discussion and importence of the mikroclimate effect. Sun hearing a rock and wind quickly lower the rock to ambient temp.
Hey, that's a really good and interesting educational video! You for sure can tell, that it took a lot of time ;)
Every winter morning in Maine I would take different temperature readings from different areas using my laser thermometer.
I would get different temperature readings from different areas dependent on each area's exposure to the wind.
The differences sometimes had over a 15-degree to 20-degree difference.
That wouldn't happen if windchill only affects people.
For sure, wind speeds up the cooling process, and helps cool objects down to the ambient temperature. But it can’t cool it *below* the ambient temperature. The “Windchill factors” is usually looks like a value less than the ambient temperature, but it’s actually more of a concept. It’s simply describing how cold it *feels*, based on the heat loss we experience.
@@BackToReality I'm sorry that you didn't understand that when I stated "I would get different temperature readings from different areas dependent on each area's exposure to the wind. The differences sometimes had over a 15-degree to 20-degree difference. " you didn't understand that I was getting reading 15 to 20 degrees less than the air temperature from a hanging thermometer protected from the wind gusts. You can again tell me that I am wrong, but the facts that I gathered have provided proof for my point.
Writing this to let you know I watched the whole video BECAUSE you gave the brief synopsis at the start of the video. Too many content providers drag you along for 10 minutes, not delivering solid explanations and not "risking" the answer until the last possible moment.
Have you ever considered putting the content from your videos into a book format? You have so many solid videos on garden related things that it feels like a lot of the legwork is already done. Just saying... :) Thanks for all the great videos.
I must say, I gave a hearty smile when he gave the solution right in the beginning, because I KNOW he manages to make everything interesting and I ALWAYS learn a lot from his videos, so the answer in the beginning just made me even more curious!
Also, it shows a hell lot of character imho!
Love your channel
I think one part that might affect plants is that the wind causes an increase in evaporation. That in combination with sun exposure and freezing temperatures makes it more likely for a plant to get winter burn because dehydrated plants fair worse in freezing temperatures.
excellent, thank you!
Thanks The Milk Man! I'm glad you like it!
thank you
Yes the wind chill certainly can affect outdoor plants. In the fall we either bring in our outdoor plants or we wrap our tender plants (Such as roses) in burlap.
Cold outdoor temperatures affect plants, for sure. But windchill is a different thing. Wind speeds the cooling process, but can’t cool the plants below the air temperature. So the air temperature (not the windchill factor) is what’s important.
Really interesting !
Thank you for the very good explanation and excellent animations. It's a solid explanation of what happens when everything is dry. However, if the plants are wet then the wind will dramatically increase evaporative cooling, lowering the temperature of the plant below the surrounding ambient temperature. This isn't "windchill" of course, but it has a similar, perhaps worse, effect (try dipping one hand in water and holding up your dry hand and wet hand on a cold, windy day). When the liquid water (or ice) has all evaporated (or sublimated), then the plant will return to the ambient temperature.
@jameskaten8291 hmm I for sure wouldn't want to be wet on a freezing day (and if you fall into water on a freezing day you are in big trouble for sure), but does the same apply to plants? Going from liquid to solid releases energy, while going from solid to liquid takes energy. However, water is a better conductor of heat than air, so maybe that's the problem for us humans being wet in the cold?
From what I understand citrus farmers in California spray their trees to wet them down if there is an upcoming light freeze. It might be a myth, or they might do it despite it having harmful effects (I haven't tried it myself), but the idea is that the process of turning the water from liquid to solid releases energy and hence wet plants are slightly more protected than dry ones. Is there another aspect to this that I have missed or misunderstood?
@@saethman that isn't a myth at all! I'm from Northern Italy and we do activate overhead sprinklers in apple orchards during late spring frosts to avoid damage on flowers or fruitlets. Exactly as you were saying, the solidification of water releases a certain amount of energy, and by continuously sprinkling water (until the morning when air temperature is again +2-3°C) we ensure that the temperature on the inside of the forming ice never falls below 0°C. This ensures that the flowers/fruitlets are not damaged.
However, this only works if there is a continuous addition of water which solidifies and releases heat, in your example it doesn't make sense because after all the water has become ice there is nothing releasing energy, so the temperature of the plant would drop to below 0°C.
You are right that water increases evaporative cooling. However I think the example referred to plants from temperate climates, in particular woody plants. Temperate trees usuay shed their leaves in autumn, so transpiration will be minimal in winter (since most of the transpiration occurs from leaves or green tissues). It follows that wind during winter won't affect transpiration much. The plant may be wet from rain and in that case it may be that the temperature "experienced" by the plant is some degrees lower than air temperature (however at the same wind speed the "plant wind chill" temperature will be much closer to air temperature compared to the "human wind chill" temperature. To conclude, plant species from temperate climates are hardy to below freezing temperatures, so even in wet conditions the plants' temperature will unlikely fall below chilling damage levels just because of the effect of the wind.
good video , i do believe windchill can effect plants on cold nights as the air is cold and ground is warm , heat rises keeping plant slightly warmer but wind can get rid of the warmth thus freezing the plant.
Thanks! :)
I think that’s essentially a “micro-climate” being cooled down by the wind. However, that air would still only be cooled to the ambient temperature of the (larger) surroundings. So this would be similar to my example of taking a houseplant outside. The plant will cool to its (new) ambient temperature, but never below. If the plant freezes, it’s because the ambient temperature is below freezing (rather than the wind blowing on the plant).
You going going big this spring, or do you two have other stuff going on. Would love to have your videos popping up along with what Charles posts.
Great video. May I ask, if plants don’t experience windchill, why do many garden experts advise us to put on a heavy mulch layer during winter and/or to wrap less hardy shrubs in burlap? Presumably the air within other mulch/burlap is at ambient temperature during the coldest parts of winter… is it to prevent desiccation?
for a year or two around 1990 when I was living in Nipigon, the wind chill was expressed as watts per square meter (at least on CBC radio in Thunder Bay). It made sense to me but I guess the non tech mind had trouble with it since they stopped expressing it that way.
My son and I just discussed this! I was correct...this time.
Glad I could help to back you up! :)
Hey i thought you would pick up a point that you didn't mention.
The wind actually has a negative effect on some plants on those frosty nights, I don't exactly remember the reason now but it has something to do with evaporation, i think it lowers the temperature and freezes even if it's above 0 degrees Celsius, although close. But one of the recommendations was to keep the plants well watered to retain more heat.
To sum it up, the concept you don’t seem to get is that water loss always causes temperature loss and that it CAN make you get colder than the ambient temperature. You admit that wind can cause water loss, incorporating in this new concept, that means wind can cause temperature drops in plants as well. Plants are not rocks. They have water and “sweat” the same way we do (the complicated process is called transpiration) and that sweating can make them get colder in winds the same way it cools us off. It is controlled by the same wind factors that make up our wind chill amount. So no, the wind chill number will not be the same for a plant, but a super high wind chill for us will also be bad for a plant. Not as bad (they can control their sweat to a degree) but closing off their sweat mechanisms also closes off their ability to photosynthesize, so they’re going to be affected in several ways.
Hey Bloodyfeather. I hear what you are saying. Wind can cause evaporative cooling, and evaporative cooling can cause plants to cool below the ambient temperature. I'm with you on that. But *wind* and *windchill* are separate things. This video is about the windchill value that is listed in the weather forecast, and that value does not include any of the effects of evaporative cooling (at least not in North America), nor is it directly relevant to plants. When looking at the forecast, it's the actual temperature that we should be paying attention to. That's all I'm trying to explain.
👌😛
When I sleep I dip down to 35C or lower without issue. 🤨 My resting bodytemp is 36.5C or lower.
Oh wow, really? From what I’ve read, average body temperature is usually around 37C (there is a range though, of course), and anything below 35C is considered hypothermic for “most people”. But obviously everyone is different. Now I’m curious what my temperature is! Lol
Where you been ?
:) Been working on the animation in this video... It takes forever.
Where is Paula?
@@KVee12311 who is Paula ?
Hey I ask you where you been ? Because long time without see you. I like your videos. Don’t go away from RUclips. Make videos every wk. don’t stop.
😎✌🖖👍👌🤓
And that wind-warmth effect is gonna be a reeeeeeal issue to us in the coming years as the earth heats up.
Imagine NOT being able to go outside because you'd heat up too fast in a hot wind FAR above your livable temperature.
And somehow. We are STILL ignoring it.
A terrifying reality, for sure. Where we live, the cold is traditionally a much bigger problem than the heat. But as our summers become hotter and drier... that may not be the case for long.
@@BackToReality Afaik Canada is getting warmer but will be quite livable, for a while at least.
But then its gonna get crowded from billions of people leaving even worse locations like the US.
Troublesome times are ahead and knowledge to keep people fed will be INvaluable.
So keep at it and give us all this vital information
I thought wind chill was (at least in part) a function of evaporative cooling; which would affect plants.
Evaporative cooling plays a role, but plants don't transpire water in winter when they have no leaves...
@@nicolagiuliani3212 Not all plants loose their leaves in winter and not all winters are freezing, but everywhere experiences wind, at least occasionally.
Thanks for the 5 min power nap! 😂
Glad I could help
Hmm, this doesn’t seem quite right. All the organisms start alive and with a temperature they can live with. Then they’re subjected to a cooling process that can be measured in temperature, wind speed, and time. Although the starting temperature is generally different, and the drop-dead temperature varies by species (and individual), the process is the same: enough cooling effects will eventually kill the organism.
The video accurately covers most situations, but it misses one factor that does have practical application. Your starts are protected by (comparatively) warm air emanating from the earth, and putting a cover over them holds the warmer air next to the plants specifically for this reason. If you’re using remay, a leaky tunnel, or growing in a ditch or depression, the speed of the wind and the amount of time it blows will determine how much of the protective, warmer air is blown away. That effect is entirely relevant to whether the plants’ temperature drops low enough to suffer damage or be killed.
This is a really good point! Thanks for sharing this detail.
I guess I'd argue that warmth radiating from the ground is actually a micro-climate, and therefore still part of the ambient temperature. So, in that case, it's the micro-climate that is being cooled down by the wind, rather than the plants. This would be similar to my example of moving an indoor plant outside (the ambient temperature is changing).
But either way, this definitely makes for a more complete explanation, and it's an important point for us gardeners. So thanks again for pointing this out!
@@BackToReality I am with you! The plant's temperature will always be the same as the surrounding air temperature, especially at night, no matter the wind conditions. One may argue that the plant could cool down slower than the surrounding air after sunset (which is true because the plants contain water and water can store more heat than air), so for a while the plant's temperature will be higher than air temperature and thus the plant could be subjected to "wind chill" (strong wind will make it cool faster). However, even in still air the plant's temperature would be equal to the surrounding air temperature at latest by the end of the night. In other words, differently from warm-blooded organisms, plants don't care how quickly they reach the ambient temperature, because they will reach it anyways sooner or later. So in the end we should be able to say that plants don't care about windchill but only on the air temperature.
"If the ex-wife walks into the room, how much does the temperature drop?"
Or the ex-husband. 🤗🖖💕
lol.