What Are Wind Speeds Related to?

Wind, simply put, is just moving air. How quickly air masses move depends on several factors, some of which are global in scale and some of which are far more local. The combination of those factors can drive wind speeds to more than 100 mph, or in very rare cases, higher than 200 mph. The highest wind speed ever recorded was 231 mph at Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

  1. Pressure Differences

    • Fundamentally, air moves between areas of different pressure. Winds blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. High-pressure weather systems are typically associated with clear skies, while low-pressure systems are often associated with stormy weather. The speed of the wind blowing from high to low pressure is affected by both the difference in pressure and the distance between the two systems. The greater the difference in pressure and the closer the pressure systems, the higher the wind speed.

    Elevation

    • Wind speeds are also affected by elevation. Generally speaking, the higher the altitude, the faster the wind speeds. Wind speeds closer to the ground are lower because the surface of the Earth creates friction, slowing the wind.

    Topography

    • The topography of the landscape --- mountains, ridges, valleys, etc. --- can affect local wind speeds. For example, wind that's pushed over a ridge top tends to be faster than wind at the same elevation that is free-flowing. Wind also moves more quickly when it is funneled into a canyon or through a gap in a mountain range.

    Coriolis Effect

    • Winds that begin flowing from high-pressure systems to low-pressure systems are also affected by a phenomenon known as the Coriolis Effect, which factors in the Earth's rotation into wind movement. Because the Earth is spinning, winds in the northern hemisphere tend to turn to the right as they blow, and winds in the southern hemisphere turn to the left.