Fort Collins, Boulder, or Colorado Springs. Which is most windy? (Pueblo: house, live)

[SirLancelot911]

I keep reading comments about the wind at the base of the Rockies, but am curious what you can tell me about it. Is it seasonal? Is it constant? What speed are we talking about? All those things considered, of the the general geographic locations above, are any "better" than others or the same?

[McGowdog]

Sometimes it's bad along I-25 near Fort Collins and sometimes it's bad near Boulder especially south of there along that hwy 93.

Not so much in Colorado Springs... not any worse than Pueblo West anyway... and it's often windy near Walsenburg.

As a general rule, when you're watching the weather channel and you see an H to the left of you and an L to the right of you... wear a hat that day.

Flashforward to 2bindenver... why? Do you have some tried and trusted method of predicting wind?

[2bindenver]

You should be more specific. Which day and at what time are we talking?

[SirLancelot911]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

You should be more specific. Which day and at what time are we talking?

Well, that's kind of what I'm wondering and don't know about. Let's take Fort Collins for example. Is wind a seasonal thing there or something to get used to year-round? What wind speed are we talking about? How about the other two geographic areas?

[jazzlover]

You can get climate data that will give you average wind speeds, but that is only part of the story. Typically, winter and spring are the windiest seasons along the Front Range. Those are the seasons where one may see windy conditions most frequently. Aside from winds associated with summer thunderstorms, winter and spring are usually the times with the most extreme winds. By extreme, I mean sustained winds of over 35 mph with gusts to 70 mph+. Boulder, in particular, has recorded wind gusts of over 90 mph in most years. All areas of the Front Range are subject to high and gusty winds. Wind speeds and duration can vary greatly within just a few miles or less, so it is perfectly possible to have calm winds in, say, the southern end of Fort Collins while the north side of town is being buffeted by high winds. The same goes for just about anyplace on the Front Range.

Cheyenne, Wyoming, just north of the Colorado border, is one of the windiest locations in the US. When I lived there, I saw sustained winds at my house of over 55 mph for hours on end, with gusts exceeding 90 mph occurring with regularity--both occurred on numerous different occasions during the years that I lived there. One time, in a stretch of 150 miles north of Cheyenne on I-25, I counted 36 overturned semis due to high winds. You get the picture, I think.

Bottom line: If you can't stand wind, the Front Range is probably not for you.

[Mike from back east]

Within the past few months there've been gusts at the summit of Pikes Peak in excess of 100 MPH.

Still, I'll take OUR winds over the winds they've been getting for two days back in the south and midwest....

[lalahartma]

I disagree. Check out the maps:

Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States
Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States
Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States

[gmm_24]

Well the weather here is nutty and you cannot predict it or the wind. The other day it was nice out, nice as in light jacket, sunny be outside nice. I went inside for lunch went back outside and it was blowing 40-50 MPH.

It will be hot as hell in the Summer but then almost daily around 2-3 PM the clouds roll in from the South, making it chilly, thunder and lightening, it will be enough to force you out of a pool or lake, then an hour later it will have cleared up.

Weather here can be all four seasons in one day. It can be windy enough to blow an 18 wheeler on it's side, there can be nice warm days in the Winter to melt any snow. It is not predictable, it keeps life interesting, gets on one's nerves, you learn to wear layers and keep extra clothes in your car.

[md21722]

The way I read those maps, the Valley and Ridge section of the Appalachian Mountains have nearly as much wind power as the Front Range of Colorado. I find that surprising. In Colorado is can be perfectly sunny outside but VERY windy - windy enough to blow over a full cup of McDonald's coffee on an outdoor table, cause a semi to blow over, or at least slow traffic down on the freeway. In the East, severe wind is usually in combination with rain, thunderstorms, or tornados. Milder wind or breeze can keep you cool in the summer, but they don't make it uncomfortable to stand outside.

[hollyt00]

Colorado weather is pretty predictable in some ways. Today, here in Colorado Springs, it's warm- I don't believe it, but my thermometer says 70. Tomorrow will be warmer. And... as I'd expect it to be in the Spring, when it's really, really warm, wind comes with it and BOOM! Come Tues or Wed, it's forecasted to be much colder with a chance of snow or rain. It's the microclimates throughout Colorado that screw with all the forecasting. But on a big, general area, it's not rocket science.