Eli5: If heat is energy, how does cold wind exist? How can air move (have cold gusts of wind) if it’s not hot? Where does the energy for movement of cold air come from?

Question

I asked this in school and the teacher thought I was trolling and didn’t answer me. It’s been like 20 years and I still think about it, it drives me crazy lol.

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

Cold is relative. Anything above 0 Kelvin has energy via vibrating particles and has warmth relative to absolute zero. So, even liquid helium which is around 4.15K (-269C or -452.2F) technically has some ‘warmth’ to it.

And what you define as ‘cold’ air is blisteringly hot compared to liquid helium.