Is This Spring Windier Than Most? (Tucson: apartment, home, college)

[tijlover]

This is my 2nd Spring here, I was so busy last year getting settled it, perhaps I didn't notice the wind, but now under Lockdown, too much time on one's hands, I'm wondering if this is a normal Spring with all this wind, seemingly, every day?

On windy days, virus or no virus, I wear a mask to safeguard myself against that nasty fine silica that comes in from the desert, and 90%+ of the time if someone stops me: You have the flu? You have the virus?

I used to respond with a lecture, but not anymore, if they want to have their lungs filled up with that crud, so be it!

I moved here from Windy Las Vegas, where they can get windblasts up to 70MPH, but I haven't experienced that yet here, only rarely.,

Normal or abnormal?

[grmi66]

Seems to be a little bit more. It's also been rainier this year, so when a low front needs to bump the high pressure that gives us blue sky and nice temps, it takes a bit of wind to do it.

[recycled]

I go out bicycle riding 3-4 days per week for 3 hours or so per ride. I don't like bike riding in the wind, so to avoid most of it in the Spring (and all the warm weather months), I get up early and start pedaling early. Today was a perfect example. I pedaled to Sabino and Bear Canyons, past Ventana Canyon and down Craycroft to the Rillito River, and then home on the east side of Tucson. There was hardly a breath of wind, but I got home before 10 am.

Later in the afternoon I visited a friend on the east side of Tucson. We sat (apart) outside on her back porch, and at 3 pm the wind started to blow enough to make us move indoors.

The cooler weather months in Tucson (Nov-March) seem to have less wind than the warm weather months (IMO, not scientific). My opinion is based on what I encounter on bike rides at different times of the year.

I agree that Tucson is less windy than Las Vegas and other places in the Great Basin desert. It is also less windy than southern New Mexico (Deming, Las Cruces) and El Paso. Certainly less windy than almost any place in the Great Plains. It helps that Tucson is surrounded on almost all sides by some formidable mountains.

I am relieved that so far this Spring, I have not been hit with Palo Verde allergies. Last year I was living in a mid-town apartment that had a jungle of Palo Verde trees surrounding it. A light breeze would carry a cloud of yellow pollen. My current apartment has quite a few mesquite, but not many Palo Verde. What a difference.

[grmi66]

I used to race bikes in college, I was quite aware of where and when the wind was blowing. Spent a few years in southern New Mexico and raced for a team out of Las Cruces. The wind there is a lot worse than anything we see in Tucson. I wasn't there, but one team training ride in Las Cruces a big gust of wind picked up a couple of guys and dumped them in a ditch.

Nothing worse than spending an hour or more battling a 30 MPH head wind on a training ride. But again might be the reason a couple of the guys on my team got really strong and fast and able to gain a spot on the U.S. National Team for a few seasons.

[dkryder]

The masks are very uncomfortable when it's 116F. I'd imagine with the increased moisture due to the perspiration they might become slightly less porous and then breathing more difficult. I use a homemade one so I can wash it every other day. The bad thing is the silica gets into the home via open doors and windows and also being stuck to clothing. Might want to look into having the duct work cleaned very well if you just moved in.