Re How C-C-Cold Is It?:

Ian Smillie asks why we factor in the wind chill in winter but not cool breezes in summer, even though both make it “feel like” it’s cooler.

The reason is that a cool breeze on a hot day is a small “microclimate” effect that, while affecting thermal comfort, is not as dominant as winter wind and therefore much more difficult to account for. The same goes for why we factor in the “humidex” in summer.

Interestingly, the Japanese have a word – suzusisa – to describe the pleasant thermal sensation created by a cool breeze in a hot and humid environment (although not reported in their weather forecasts). I suggest Canadians adopt this word to describe what most have been dreaming about for the past month.

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Note: This appeared as a letter to the editor in The Globe & Mail.