Why Cold Water Feels Colder Than the Air at the Same Temperature | RapidSmartFacts

Here’s a weird one: 50°F air can feel chilly, but 50°F water

can feel shockingly cold. Same temperature, totally different experience. The key difference

is how fast each one pulls heat from your skin. Your body feels

temperature mostly as heat transfer, not just the number on a thermometer.

Water is much better at transferring heat than air. So when you touch cold water,

it rapidly steals warmth from your skin. Air, by contrast,

is a poor heat conductor. Plus, air often forms a thin warm

layer near your skin that acts like insulation. Water doesn’t let that protective layer