Everyone knows it’s windy. But how windy is it? We reached out to Russ Schumacher, Colorado State climatologist and director of the Colorado Climate Center, for perspective.
Colorado State University operates a network of agricultural weather stations around the state called CoAgMET stations. There is one in Center which has been measuring weather conditions since 1993 and a CoAgMET station installed in 2000 at San Acacio.
The spring of 2022 was the third windiest spring on average, after 1999 and 2011, according to data Schumacher reviewed from the Center station. Data from the San Acacio station told a similar windy story for 2022.
As for 2023, well, “it looks like it varied a bit around the Valley,” Schumacher said.
Charts from Colorado State University and CoAgMET show hourly readings taken in Center for wind and gust speeds and wind direction, March 31-April 4. The orange arrows on the bottom graph are wind direction indicators called wind barbs. The side projections – the barbs – point into the wind, and indicate the wind speed, with a circle for calm wind. Somewhat atypically, the arrow head points in the direction the wind is going. More info.
But San Acacio showed up differently. There, the data showed March 2023 as the second windiest in the last 20 years, topped only by 2011.
“When looking at various other metrics of strong winds, such as the windiest 2-week periods, etc., it’s generally 2011 and 2022 that pop up as the extreme windy springs,” Schumacher said.
With this March the second windiest as measured at San Acacio, what does the rest of April have in store when it comes to winds?
“April is the windiest month on average in the SLV, as it is in most of the state. Early May can also be very windy,” the Colorado State climatologist said.
Gee thanks, Russ.
Photos: Linda Relyea
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