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Are Wind Gusts Higher Today Than In Years Past?

Are Wind Gusts Higher Today Than In Years Past?


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Is that the case or am I, as my children keep telling me, just getting old and ornery ?

Brian,

The wind has been with us forever. The formations you see in Arches, Zion N.P., Canyonlands and elsewhere are carved by the wind (and rain too). Wind can be destructive, especially the microburst gusts we see with thunderstorms in the summer and easterly winds that blow out of the canyons and over the Wasatch Mountains...into the heavily populated areas along the Wasatch Front. In fact, historically, easterly winds and microburst winds are the one weather phenomenon that causes more damage than any other type of weather we encounter here in Utah.

The highest wind "ever" occurred at Hidden Peak in a northerly gust that blew in at 124 mph on November 8, 1986. The highest Easterly wind happened in Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties on April 4, 1983 when gusts hit 103 mph in Ogden and 104 mph at Hill Air Force Base. This one event caused Millions of dollars in damage to power lines, homes and personal property. Our highest westerly wind in Utah happened in Milford on February 18, 1994 when the anemometer hit 77 mph. The strongest south wind was recorded on April 5, 1967 in Dugway, with a gust to 93 mph. The strongest thunderstorm wind from a microburst was on the Brigham Young Campus on May 31, 1994 at the Kimball Tower, when the wind gust hit 121 mph. Hundreds of trees were ripped from their roots in a nearby cemetery.

If you would like to see a listing of the highest wind gusts for individual cities and locations around Utah, you can find it here:

Link to highest wind gusts by city

Based on my experience as a long time meteorologist in Utah; Brian, I would say that age is beginning to add to your misery. Winds have been strong and "gusty" for years and years...even since the Pioneers entered the valley. My wind records go back 1910, and the oldest "highest wind gust" happened at the Salt Lake Airport on June 3, 1963, when a blast of wind buffeted the ground at 94 mph. That was 48 years ago, so I think you can agree with me that strong winds were present at least 50 years ago.

Our biggest problem in measuring and comparing winds in the 1800's and the first half of the 1900's is the fact that we didn't have nearly as many anemometers (to measure the wind) as we do today. So, honestly, I can't say for sure if the winds are higher today than they were 100 or 200 years ago. It does appear that we have seen a spike in winds more recently this winter. The recent gusts at Sundance of 113 mph, and 110 mph at Snowbasin rank up there as some of the highest ever. The frequency of storms this winter (coincident with the strong La Nina) has been responsible for more frequent fronts, and subsequently more windy days.

We've seen an average year for "red air quality days" with 16 days. Last year we logged 22 days and in 2006-07, there were 30 days. The perception then would be that there have been more windy days this winter than last winter and far more windy days than in 2006-07. On that account, you could argue we have been windier this winter. Problem here again is how they measure the air quality keeps changing, so going back more than 8 to 10 years is difficult to compare red days because the measuring system changed dramatically.

This we can say for sure. This winter has been windier than the past four or five winters. That is the best I can do for you Brian. Is it windier than it was 10, 20, 50 or 100 years ago today as compared to those years? That is much more difficult to answer with absolute accuracy.

I feel your pain though as I continue to age. The older I get, the less I enjoy the high winds we see here in Utah. Unfortunately, we will continue to break wind records; and high winds are likely to continue well into the future.

One thing I need to get in here before my friends who enjoy windy days chime in. Those who use the wind to fly Ultra light aircraft, Hang Gliders, Wind Surfers, Snow Surfers and kite enthusiasts love the wind. And power generation through turbines that turn when the wind blows will all agree that the wind is a good thing.

However, I agree with you Brian about winds and inversions. Anytime there is an inversion, I say, "bring on the wind".

Otherwise, my favorite kind of weather is a quiet, mild summer evening, with a light cool breeze flowing off the Wasatch Mountains to my east, while I am sitting in my back yard (with vistas of the Great Salt Lake to the West) enhanced by a golden, orange, yellow and fiery sunset reflecting off the Great Salt Lake...while I sip a cold glass of lemon-aid.

Sincerely,

Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Dan Pope KSL

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