The following information is provided by Graphiq and WeatherDB.
by Sabrina Perry
When classifying the weather of a region, most people consider sun, precipitation and temperature highs and lows. Sunny with highs in the 70s? Universally considered “nice.” Rainy with temps below 50 degrees fahrenheit? Not so nice.
What many forget to consider is wind — the dark horse of the weather world. It’s usually ignored until strong gusts or tornadoes start causing serious damage. But, wind chill can turn a pleasantly brisk day into one where you huddle inside for warmth. And, on hot days, a nice breeze can make them bearable. Because of this, wind has a reputation as a polarizing weather condition.
After analyzing NOAA Comparative Climate Data, which has wind data for approximately 300 cities, the experts at WeatherDB found the top 30 windiest cities in America. Though some cities may suffer bouts of extreme wind, the cities on this list are the windiest on average. As it turns out, Chicago isn’t quite the “Windy City” it’s made out to be.
For each city, the average temperature highs and lows are also included, as well as the windiest month and population size, which is based on the most recent 2014 census data.
Note: In the case of ties, cities with lower average high temperatures are ranked higher.
#30. Galveston, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 77.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 65.2 F
Most Windy Months: April, May
Population: 48,513
#29. Concordia, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 64.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 42.6 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 5,327
#28. Fargo, North Dakota
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 52.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 31.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 110,725
#27. Wichita Falls, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 75.7 F
Average Low Temperature: 50.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 104,771
#26. Grand Island, Nebraska
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 62.3 F
Average Low Temperature: 39.1 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 50,059
#25. Merlin, Oregon
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 56.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 40.6 F
Most Windy Month: November
Population: 1,594
#24. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Average Wind Speed: 11.4 mph
Average High Temperature: 72.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 50.7 F
Most Windy Months: March, April
Population: 600,729
#23. Great Falls, Montana
Average Wind Speed: 11.5 mph
Average High Temperature: 57.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 32 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 59,017
#22. Wichita, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 11.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 67.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 45.5 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 385,518
#21. Boston, Massachusetts
Average Wind Speed: 11.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 58.7 F
Average Low Temperature: 44 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 639,594
#20. Corpus Christi, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.7 mph
Average High Temperature: 81.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 62.7 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 312,680
#19. Bethel, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 11.7 mph
Average High Temperature: 37.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 23.7 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 6,295
#18. Inwood, New York
Average Wind Speed: 11.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 61.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 47.2 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 9,609
#17. Kotzebue, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 11.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 28.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 16.8 F
Most Windy Month: November
Population: 3,273
#16. Lubbock, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 12 mph
Average High Temperature: 74.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 46.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 236,868
#15. Casper, Wyoming
Average Wind Speed: 12 mph
Average High Temperature: 59.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 31.3 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 57,815
#14. Clayton, New Mexico
Average Wind Speed: 12.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 67.8 F
Average Low Temperature: 40.2 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 2,387
#13. Goodland, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 65 F
Average Low Temperature: 37.6 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 4,879
#12. New York, New York
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 62.8 F
Average Low Temperature: 48.1 F
Most Windy Months: February, March
Population: 8,354,889
#11. Rochester, Minnesota
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 54.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 36.1 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 109,252
#10. Cheyenne, Wyoming
Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
Average High Temperature: 58.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 34.2 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 61,470
#9. Barrow, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 12.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 17.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 6.2 F
Most Windy Month: October
Population: 4,296
#8. Amarillo, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 12.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 70.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 43.7 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 194,930
#7. Kahului, Hawaii
Average Wind Speed: 12.9 mph
Average High Temperature: 84.3 F
Average Low Temperature: 67.4 F
Most Windy Months: June, July
Population: 27,339
#6. Dodge City, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 13.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 68.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 42.5 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 27,950
#5. Lihue, Hawaii
Average Wind Speed: 13.3 mph
Average High Temperature: 81.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 70.4 F
Most Windy Month: July
Population: 6,955
#4. Kaktovik, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 13.3 mph
Average High Temperature: 16 F
Average Low Temperature: 4 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 176
#3. Dedham, Massachusetts
Average Wind Speed: 15 mph
Average High Temperature: 60 F
Average Low Temperature: 36.9 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 25,111
#2. St. Paul Island, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 15.5 mph
Average High Temperature: 38.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 30.8 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 484
#1. Cold Bay, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 16.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 43.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 34 F
Most Windy Month: February
Population: 44
