16 Nebraskaland • October 2022
IN THE FIELD
By Martha D. Shulski
HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS
From comments in the grocery store check-out line
to social media posts, everyone was sharing stories
about the wind this spring. Every other day, there
seemed to be a high-wind warning and high fire
danger in a pre-green-up landscape. Deadly wildfires
wreaked havoc following our fourth driest winter on
record.
Just how unusual were these winds? For that
answer, we'll turn to our old friend climatology.
Typically, the average monthly wind speed is in the
10 mph range here in Nebraska. Of course, it can be
significantly higher with the passage of a storm or
frontal boundary.
This April, averages around the state were in the
15 mph range. For a monthly average speed, that
is certainly noticeable and impactful. Furthermore,
wind gusts reached 60 to 70 mph on several occasions.
According to the National Weather Service, wind
gusts of 58 mph or greater are considered severe;
hurricane strength winds begin at 74 mph.
Spring is typically a time of year when winds
can be at their peak, owing to a strong temperature
contrast in the northern hemisphere. Winter hangs
on longer in the north, while conditions can be near
summer-like in the south.
As we go into fall, that strong temperature
gradient is not yet established and winds tend to
be lighter than during spring. Those gradients in
temperature lead to gradients in pressure, which
leads to wind. Is higher than usual wind something
we should expect more of in the future? That is a
tough question without a simple answer. However, if
we've experienced it once in Nebraska, chances are
we'll experience it again.
Brisk fall winds rustle the stems of common reed at Big Alkali Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in the Cherry
County sandhills. GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
