An explanation for Chicago being a naturally breezy area is that it is on the shores of Lake Michigan. Chicago had long billed itself as an ideal summer resort because of its cool lake breeze.
Why is it so windy in Chicago?
Chicago is windy due to its proximity to Lake Michigan, one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world. The lake is rarely the same temperature as the air about it, meaning that it can either cool or heat the air. When this occur, warmer air rises and cooler air rushes in to meet it, producing a current of wind.
Is it always windy in Chicago?
Chicago is, indeed, a rather windy city, but it certainly isn’t the windiest. With an average wind speed of 10.3 mph, Chicago ranks 12th windiest among the nation’s major cities. Boston is windiest, with an average of 12.4 mph. A likely source of the nickname is political.
Is Chicago really the windiest city?
According to the data from the U.S. Metrological Department, Chicago’s average annual wind speeds rank thirteenth in the country. However, when it comes to the actual data, Dodge City in Kansas is the windiest city in the country.
Is Chicago windy because of the buildings?
But in another sense Chicago is actually earning the title of the “windy” city. It is one of the effects of the tall buildings which engineers and architects apparently did not foresee that the wind is sucked down into the streets.
Is New York more windy than Chicago?
Chicago is not significantly windier than any other U.S. city. For example, the average annual wind speed of Chicago is 10.3 mph (16.6 km/h); Boston: 12.4 mph (20.0 km/h); Central Park, New York City: 9.3 mph (15.0 km/h); and Los Angeles: 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h).
What is the windiest city on earth?
Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand, is widely regarded as the windiest major city in the world, with an average wind speed of more than 16 miles per hour.
Is Boston or Chicago more windy?
Contrary to popular belief, Chicago is not the windiest city in the United States. That honor goes to Boston, Massachusetts, which boasts wind speeds that are regularly up to two miles per hour faster than Chicago’s.
What is the windiest city in the US?
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City sits in the heart of this region and in the bowels of Tornado Alley. It’s thought to be the windiest city in the U.S., with an average wind speed of 15 mph.
What are the top 5 windiest cities in the world?
The 7 Windiest Cities On The Planet
- Baku, Azerbaijan – 11.1 mph.
- Gruissan, France – 11.2 mph.
- St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada – 13.1 mph.
- Punta Arenas, Chile – 14.5 mph.
- Dodge City, Kansas – 15 mph.
- Rio Gallegos, Argentina – 15.3 mph.
- Wellington, New Zealand – 16 mph.
- Barrow Island, Australia.
What is the highest wind speed ever recorded in Chicago?
| Wind (in mph) | |
|---|---|
| Highest Gust | 87 on February 12, 1894 |
| Coldest Wind Chill | -82 on December 24, 1983 |
What are the top 5 windiest states?
The top 5 windiest states are: Nebraska (1), Kansas (2), South Dakota (3), North Dakota (4), and Iowa (5). The top 5 least windy states are: Mississipi (1), Florida (2), Kentucky (3), Georgia (4),and Alabama (5).
Is San Francisco more windy than Chicago?
The windiest city in the United States is not the one nicknamed the “Windy City”. Among large cities, Chicago ranks twelfth for fastest average wind speed.
Windiest Cities in the United States.
| City | MPH | KPH |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, Missouri | 10.6 | 17.1 |
| San Francisco, California | 10.6 | 17.1 |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 10.5 | 16.9 |
What is the windiest month in Chicago?
The windiest month of the year in Chicago is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 14.2 miles per hour. The calmer time of year lasts for 4.9 months, from May 6 to October 1. The calmest month of the year in Chicago is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.7 miles per hour.
Why is Chicago called the White City?
7. The Chicago World’s Fair played a key role in the creation of the City Beautiful movement. At the core of the fair was an area that quickly became known as the White City for its buildings with white stucco siding and its streets illuminated by electric lights.
Why is the Midwest so windy?
Warmer air masses surge north and meet up with colder air that has been in place over the course of the winter. This creates tighter temperature gradients. As discussed above, tighter temperature gradients mean more rising and sinking air which then creates tighter pressure gradients resulting in stronger wind speeds.
Who has worse winters Chicago or New York?
On average, Chicago gets about a foot more snow each winter than New York. While the coldest average monthly temperature in New York bottoms out at 27 degrees, Chicago’s average lows in winter months are 18 degrees or colder. Chicagoans make up for those rough winters by embracing the outdoors the rest of the year.
Where is the windiest part of the US?
Where are the Windiest Cities in the US? NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information has cataloged long-term wind speed data from 1984 through 2018. At the top of the list is Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, where the average wind speed is 36 miles per hour.
What is the 2nd windiest city in the United States?
2. Amarillo, Texas – 13.6 mph. With an average wind speed of 13.6 mph, Amarillo, Texas is the second-windiest city in the United States.
What is the highest wind speed ever recorded?
1. 253 mph • Barrow Island, Australia • April 10, 1996
- Visible satellite imagery of Tropical Cyclone Olivia a few hours before it crossed Barrow Island, Australia, setting a new world-record wind gust of 253 mph. (
- Wind trace taken at Barrow Island, Australia, during Tropical Cyclone Olivia.
Where is the least windiest place to live?
Catalina Foothills, AZ
With an average wind speed of just 1.1 MPH throughout the year, Catalina Foothills in Arizona takes the lead as the least windy city in the United States. Catalina Foothills has a population of 50,796.