A Windy Winter Whiffle*

For those of you waiting out a long winter's golfing hiatus, here's a reason not to feel any more sorry for yourself than you have to. As it turns out, the wind chill factor blows (kinda like this blog). Here's the gist of it: the science behind the measurement is flawed and outdated; it doesn't mean some of the things people often think it means; and it's often used simply to sensationalize a cold spell and make it seem worse than it really is. Writes Daniel Engber, a senior editor at the online Slate magazine:

The weathermen trot out these arctic, pumped-down numbers to put an exclamation point on the banality of winter. Wind chill readings make excitement out of mere inconvenience; they imbue a miserable day with the air of epic calamity. A temperature of 5 degrees is unpleasant. A wind chill of 20 below—well, that's something to talk about.

     I knew it!!
     Yes, wind does make a difference in how cold you feel. But how about simply saying something like, "It's very cold today -- and windy, too, so bundle up!" Read the whole thing here.

* Posts labeled "Whiffles" are those deemed "light or insignificant," for enjoyment and/or edification purposes only, not necessarily having anything to do with golf.