15°C (59°F) is the temperature where people disagree most. One person puts on shorts at 15°C without a second thought, another reaches for a jacket. Both are right — because 15°C is not one experience.
15°C with sun and no wind: comfortable
On a calm, sunny day at 15°C it feels noticeably warmer. Direct solar radiation adds 4 to 6 degrees to the feels-like temperature. With no wind and full sun you easily reach a feels-like of 19–21°C. For most people that's comfortable enough for shorts.
15°C with wind: be careful
Wind takes a lot of warmth out of a feels-like temperature of 15°C. At 30 km/h wind the feels-like temperature drops to around 9–10°C. Shorts become too cold for most people then, especially if cloud cover is added to the mix.
| Scenario | Air temperature | Feels-like temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny, no wind | 15°C | ~20°C |
| Overcast, no wind | 15°C | ~14°C |
| Overcast, 20 km/h wind | 15°C | ~11°C |
| Overcast, 35 km/h wind | 15°C | ~8°C |
| Rain, 20 km/h wind | 15°C | ~9°C |
Can you wear shorts today?
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The season matters
15°C feels different in May than in September. After a cold winter your body has adapted — 15°C feels relatively warm. In September, after a warm summer, the same temperature already feels chilly. The thermometer says the same thing; your body doesn't.
What does KorteBroekAan.nl do at 15°C?
KorteBroekAan.nl uses the feels-like temperature, not the air temperature. The threshold also depends on your personal sensitivity setting:
- Weakling: never shorts
- Average (default): feels-like above 15°C and rain chance below 90%
- Daring: feels-like above 10°C and rain chance below 95%
- Legend: always shorts
At an air temperature of 15°C with no wind and sunshine the feels-like can already exceed 20°C, comfortably above the default line. On an overcast, breezy 15°C day it drops below 15°C and the default answer is no.
Conclusion
At 15°C everything depends on conditions. Sunny and calm: fine. Overcast and windy: too cold for most. Always check the current feels-like temperature and wind speed before grabbing the shorts.
Learn more
Read next
Can I wear shorts at 17 degrees? With sun, yes
At 17°C shorts work, but only with sun or little wind. Overcast with a steady breeze it feels like 13°C, and long trousers are the better call.
Can I wear shorts at 12 degrees? Usually too cold
12°C (54°F) is too cold for shorts for most people. In full sun with no wind it can feel like 17°C, and then it's just about doable.
Can I wear shorts at 18 degrees? Yes, if it's sunny
18°C (64°F) is shorts weather when the sun is out: it feels like 23°C. Overcast and windy it feels like 14°C and trousers are the better call.
Can I wear shorts at 19 degrees? Sun and wind decide
At 19°C (66°F) sun and wind decide: it can feel like 25°C or 12°C. Sunny or calm means shorts; overcast and windy means trousers.
Why 15 degrees sometimes feels warm and sometimes cold
15°C in April after a cold winter feels like liberation. The same temperature in September feels like summer is over. Both reactions make complete sense.