Tag Archives: Wind

Are wind turbines detected by weather radars?

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

While a single wind turbine is unlikely to confuse a radar return signal, a wind farm, particularly one 20 square miles or larger, will pose a problem. For example, the radar returns from the weather radar in Sullivan continually measures what looks to be a rain cloud to the north. This signal is always there and is the location of a wind farm. Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology
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What is the Beaufort scale?

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

The Beaufort scale is a method of estimating wind speed based on the general condition of the surface of a large body of water with respect to wind waves and swell. This scale allows sailors to estimate the wind speed just by observing the state of the sea surface. Continue reading →

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Is Dane County wind affected by Lake Superior ice?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

A reader wondered whether his perception that it has become windier in southern Wisconsin over the past couple of decades has anything to do with the shorter Lake Superior ice season during the same time. Continue reading →

Category: Climate
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What is a derecho?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

A derecho (pronounced deh-RAY-cho, a Spanish word meaning “straight ahead”) is an hours-long windstorm associated with a line of severe thunderstorms. It is a result of straight-line winds, not the rotary winds of a tornado — hence its name. Derechos in the United States are most common in the late spring and summer (May through August). Continue reading →

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What causes wind gusts?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Weather Guys Editor

A wind gust is a sudden, brief increase in the speed of the wind followed by a lull. According to National Weather Service observing practice, gusts are reported when the peak wind speed reaches at least 18 mph and the variation in wind speed between the peaks and lulls is at least about 10 mph. The strongest wind gust recorded occurred at Australia’s Barrow Island, with a gust of 253 mph that occurred during tropical cyclone Olivia on April 10, 1996. Continue reading →

Category: Phenomena
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