Nothing feels better than a gentle breeze of cool refreshing air. But some cities in America are too windy to enjoy.
We have compiled a list of the 35 windiest cities in the United States. Read on to learn more about their yearly wind speed and average temperature information.
How Wind Energy Works
The US is the second-largest producer of wind energy in the world. But how exactly does wind work as a source of power?
Like other sources of energy like solar power, wind energy starts with the primary source, the sun. The hot temperature from the sun heats the land and air, causing hot air to rise in the atmosphere. This rising of air occurs because hot air is lighter than cool air.
Wind turbines are used to tap into this green energy source. The four main parts of a turbine are the blade, nacelle, tower, and foundation.
An anemometer and a wind vane on the nacelle are also used to determine the best turbine position.
The blades experience pressure from the wind, causing them to spin and produce voltage in wires. 1000 to 1800 spins per minute are necessary for electricity to form.
The best place for generating wind energy is those with an average wind speed of at least 9 mph annually. The perfect wind turbine sites are open plains with water, smooth hills, and mountain gaps.
Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas were the five states with the most wind energy in 2020. They create 58% of the US wind electricity generation among the 37 other states.
Pros and Cons of Wind Energy
Wind energy offers several benefits to residents.
However further research is still needed to address its challenges. It’s undeniable that wind power is a clean fuel source. It doesn’t use coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels that pollute the air. Here are its other benefits:
- It’s cost-effective since it only costs one to two cents per kilowatt-hour.
- It’s an industry that creates more jobs.
- The wind is a local source of energy.
- It’s also the largest source of renewable power.
- Wind energy can exist as long as the sun and air do.
However, wind power is a new industry that still has many flaws. Take a look at some challenges it’s working to resolve:
- Some locations are not windy enough to produce low-cost wind energy.
- Cities that need more electricity can’t entirely rely on wind energy.
- It can lead to aesthetic and noise pollution.
- Land use for turbines does not provide enough return on investment.
- It can kill birds in the area.
35 Windiest Cities in the US
No, Chicago is not the windiest city in the United States despite being known as the Windy City!
Take a look at the 35 windiest cities in the US, including their most windy months and average temperatures.
1. Weymouth Town, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 55,419
Weymouth Town tops the United States’ windiest cities, experiencing year-round winds and clouds. It experiences four blustery months, accompanied by a long, wet, and icy winter. Meanwhile, summer and spring are fair and comfortable.
2. Brockton, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 14.3 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 84°F
- Average Low Temperature: 21°F
- Population: 94,089
Brockton is a close second for the windiest city in the US, at an average of 14.3 miles per hour. It experiences the gustiest during February and the calmest month every July.
That’s why tourists often visit it from mid-June to late September.
3. Framingham, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 13.6 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 19°F
- Population: 68,318
The 25 square miles city experiences an average of 13.6 mph of wind speed. With a population of 68,000, Framingham is within the MetroWest subregion and Middlesex County of the Greater Boston area. Expect the strongest gust of wind in February.
4. Amarillo, Texas
- Average Wind Speed: 13.3 mph
- Most Windy Months: March and April
- Average High Temperature: 91°F
- Average Low Temperature: 25°F
- Population: 196,429
Amarillo used to be the second city with the strongest wind gusts. The town in the Texas Panhandle frequently sees low pressure, thanks to the peaks in New Mexico and the Rockies. Despite being top 4 on the list, its fastest wind gust record is lower than other locations.
5. Weymouth, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 13.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 54,393
Weymouth, Massachusetts’ hourly wind speed is an average of 9,9 miles per hour every February. It goes on like this the whole year, except for April to October. The calmest hourly wind speed in Weymouth is 5.5 miles per hour.
6. Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Average Wind Speed: 12.9 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 19°F
- Population: 62,448
Wyoming is a famous windy state, with Cheyenne as its windiest city. You’ll only like this town if you can stand the cold winds. The humidity in the city is low, and some might find the conditions uncomfortable.
7. Fort Collins, Colorado
- Average Wind Speed: 12.8 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 87°F
- Average Low Temperature: 19°F
- Population: 152,061
Wind records are challenging to monitor in Northern Colorado due to the multiple data points. But one thing is for sure: wind gusts can reach up to 36 mph in Fort Collins!
8. Newton, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.7 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 20°F
- Population: 87,971
Newton is the fourth windiest city in Massachusetts, with an average wind speed of 12.7 mph. It’s in Middlesex County, west of downtown Boston.
9. Casper, Wyoming
- Average Wind Speed: 12.7 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 88°F
- Average Low Temperature: 17°F
- Population: 59,628
Casper, Wyoming, creates the perfect conditions for strong winds. It adds the low pressure of the Plains and the high pressure of the Great Basic. That is why the wind speed sometimes reaches 50 mph during the winter.
10. Waltham, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.6 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 19°F
- Population: 62,227
Waltham, Massachusetts, is another windy city in Middlesex County. Like Newton, the Center for research and Higher Education experiences strong winds because of New England’s jet streak.
11. Loveland, Colorado
- Average Wind Speed: 12.6 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 88°F
- Average Low Temperature: 18°F
- Population: 71,334
Loveland, Colorado, also experiences the windiest season during January. Last December, the wind reached gusts of 80 mph, destroying trees, cars, and power poles. It also caused a brownout due to the area’s dirt and dust.
12. Quincy, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 23°F
- Population: 93,494
Quincy’s average low temperature is slightly higher than other cities in Massachusetts, but the winters are very snowy and freezing. One of the most severe conditions that Quincy faced was in 2015. The wind speeds were 74 mph, which destroyed homes and trees.
13. Greeley, Colorado
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: January.
- Average High Temperature: 88°F
- Average Low Temperature: 15°F
- Population: 96,539
Some think that Greely is the most affordable location in Colorado because of the dangerous weather. Aside from the high crime rate, the city often receives strong winds and storm alerts. The high wind speed can also blow down power lines and trees.
14. Rochester, Minnesota
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 9°F
- Population: 110,742
Topographically flat cities are more prone to intensified winds, which is why Minnesota encounters a 12.5 mph wind speed. Its few hills make the city one of the windiest in Minnesota.
15. Great Falls, Montana
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: January
- Average High Temperature: 86°F
- Average Low Temperature: 18°F
- Population: 59,351
Most of Montana’s forceful winds come from the terrain, specifically the Rocky Mountains. The town saw record gusts of 95 mph in 2021. It destroyed buildings, homes, and trees, with 2000 residents losing power.
16. Peabody, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 21°F
- Population: 52,044
Peabody’s northwestern border lies in the Ipswich River. Several ponds and a lake within the town affect the location’s humidity. The average wind velocity in Essex town is 12.5 mph, experiencing the most intense gusts every February
17. Brookline, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 58, 732
While the summers are warm in Brookline, the winter season can be very chilly. It’s also partly cloudy the whole year. Windy seasons last for 5.9 months here, from October to April.
18. Lowell, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.5 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 84°F
- Average Low Temperature: 18°F
- Population: 108,861
The most extreme winds in Lowell, Massachusetts, appear every February, with an hourly speed of 7.2 miles. The winds are calmer in August, with only a 4.0-mile hourly wind speed.
19. Lubbock, Texas
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 93°F
- Average Low Temperature: 29°F
- Population: 239,538
Lubbock is right below the Texas Panhandle, whose average wind measurement is 12.4 mph. The annual wind speed averages are relatively high, although April experiences the strongest breeze. You’ll find many wind farms here as they maximize the wind for power.
20. Lynn, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 81°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 91,589
Like Lynn, most cities in Massachusetts meet the worst forms of wind damage from December to February. Aside from large-scale power outages, waves typically crash on Lynn Shore Drive when the winds are intense.
21. Boston, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February and March
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 23°F
- Population: 645,966
The capital of Massachusetts also experiences powerful winds, especially during February and March. In 2016, one of the strongest winds put an eight-foot-tall Benjamin Franklin statue upside down.
22. Medford, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 21°F
- Population: 57,170
Medford, Massachusetts, encounters significant variations in wind patterns throughout the seasons and year. The windy months start in October and end in April. The winds are the weakest every July, with an average speed of 4.8 miles per hour.
23. Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 107,289
Another city in Middlesex County that frequently sees strong blows of wind is Cambridge. The town across Charles River has an average of 12.4 mph winds.
Although wind events are present the whole year, the clearest month in Cambridge is in September.
24. Malden, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 60,509
Malden, Massachusetts, often experiences strong wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. Heavy winds in this city in Middlesex County bring down trees, utility poles, and even gas station signs.
25. Somerville, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 22°F
- Population: 78,804
Like its neighboring cities, Boston and Cambridge, Somerville also experiences relatively strong winds. The safest and most comfortable months to travel here are August and September.
26. Revere, Massachusetts
- Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
- Most Windy Months: February
- Average High Temperature: 82°F
- Average Low Temperature: 23°F
- Population: 53,756
February may be the windiest month in Revere, Massachusetts, but December sees the most wind. And on average, August encounters the slightest breeze.
27. Fargo, North Dakota
- Average Wind Speed: 12.3 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 83°F
- Average Low Temperature: 2°F
- Population: 113,658
Fargo’s average wind speed used to be higher from 1948 to 2014, with an average speed of 15 mph. The city is in the Red River Valley, a breezy location only a few hundred feet vast.
28. North Cleveland, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: March
- Average High Temperature: 94°F
- Average Low Temperature: 30°F
- Population: 102,211
Unlike other cities in the North, Oklahoma’s windiness helps beat the heat. Thanks to the southern or south-southeastern winds, residents can cope with the 94°F temperature.
This can create tropical cyclones and hurricane-force winds which makes the behavior of wind and weather very unpredictable.
29. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: March
- Average High Temperature: 94°F
- Average Low Temperature: 30°F
- Population: 610,613
Oklahoma’s peak windy season is March, but it lasts from February to May. It also sees occasional tornadoes from April to June.
30. East Canadian, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 94°F
- Average Low Temperature: 29°F
- Population: 72,697
East Canada is another hot city that often encounters windy weather. Located in Pittsburg County, East Canada only experiences 4.1 months of extreme wind conditions.
31. Midwest City, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 93°F
- Average Low Temperature: 31°F
- Population: 56,756
Midwest City’s average wind speed is 12.2 mph, similar to Norman and East Canadian. Wind gusts occur here because of the formation of wake flow and the pressure drop.
32. Norman, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 95°F
- Average Low Temperature: 31°F
- Population: 118,197
Norman, Oklahoma’s average hourly speed every April is around 12.6 mph. If you want to avoid strong gusts, August is the ideal month.
33. Edmond, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 94°F
- Average Low Temperature: 30°F
- Population: 87,004
Edmond is the windiest every winter season. With cold wind tunnels. But you have to appreciate the cold feeling before the hot and muggy summer arrives in June.
34. Moore, Oklahoma
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April
- Average High Temperature: 94°F
- Average Low Temperature: 30°F
- Population: 58,414
Moore has a 4-6-month period of forceful winds from January to late May. The most powerful wind speed recordings reached 200mph when an EF5 tornado occurred in 2013. It’s a mix of Eastern and Westerly winds.
35. Wichita, Kansas
- Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
- Most Windy Months: April.
- Average High Temperature: 93°F
- Average Low Temperature: 25°F
- Population: 386,552
Wichita’s intense winds come from the Colorado Rocky Mountain’s air. It sinks, warms, and strengthens the low-pressure area of the Eastern plains.
In Conclusion
There are tons of other cities with high wind speeds, but this article covered only the 35 windiest cities in the US. Learning about these places and how wind energy works gives you more understanding of the weather patterns in the country.
Did you enjoy reading this list? If yes, share this post and tell us what you want to learn next in the comments below! And for more great info like this, check out our look at tornado alley.
