Wind. Kansas is often translated to mean “people of the south wind”, so it’s no surprise that wind features prominently in weather discussions around the state. But, just how windy is Kansas compared to other locations? Wind measurements aren’t as widespread as temperature or precipitation, but of 275 stations in a comparison by the National Climatic Data Center, Dodge City was the 6th windiest with an annual average of 13.9 miles per hour. At 12.5, 12.2 and 11.9 miles per hour calculated for Goodland, Wichita, and Concordia were in the top 30. The top five windy spots are located on islands or on mountains, where terrain contributes to the wind. If you really want to experience a windy location – visit Mount Washington, NH with an average annual wind speed of 35.1 miles per hour, more than double the next windiest location.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu