Those who have experienced a gale force wind in their life will remember how difficult it is to stand up without getting blown over.
National Big Wind Day is here to commemorate and celebrate the biggest wind on earth!
National Big Wind Day Timeline
Earliest Known Anemometer Designs
Italian architect and engineer Leon Battista Alberti devises one of the first mechanical instruments to measure wind speed, a simple plate anemometer described in his writings on architecture and city planning.
Creation of the Beaufort Wind Force Scale
British naval officer Francis Beaufort introduces a 13-point scale that relates observable sea conditions to wind force, giving sailors a standardized way to describe and estimate wind strength without instruments.
Invention of the Cup Anemometer
Irish astronomer Thomas Romney Robinson develops the four-cup anemometer at Armagh Observatory, creating a much more accurate and widely adopted device for measuring wind speed on land and at sea.
Establishment of the U.S. Weather Bureau
The United States Congress authorizes the creation of a national weather service within the Army Signal Corps, leading to systematic wind and storm observations that greatly improve forecasting and public warnings.
231 mph Wind Recorded on Mount Washington
Observers at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire record a surface wind speed of 231 miles per hour, a world record for directly measured surface winds that stands for decades and shapes extreme-weather research.
253 mph Wind Measured on Barrow Island, Australia
During Tropical Cyclone Olivia, an automatic weather station on Barrow Island records a wind gust of 253 miles per hour, later recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the highest surface wind gust on record.
Rise of Modern Wind Turbines and Wind Power
Advances in aerodynamics, materials, and power electronics lead to large-scale deployment of three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbines, turning high winds into a major global source of renewable electricity.
History of National Big Wind Day
A big wind can be an enormous help when it comes to sailing in a boat or flying a kite. But it can also be rather destructive if that wind comes along with a storm, like a hurricane or a tornado.
Scientists have been measuring the wind for more than 500 years, with the use of the anemometer that was designed by an Italian scientist.
In these hundreds of years of wind, there have been some amazing gusts that have measured over 200 miles per hour. And that’s a really big wind!
National Big Wind Day is the celebration of the highest natural wind recorded on the earth’s surface up to that time. Taking place on April 12, 1934, this wind was measured in the Mount Washington Observatory coming in at a whopping 231 miles per hour!
Since that measurement, the record has actually been broken when, during a hurricane in Australia, winds were measured up to 253 miles per hour. But, in the United States, the celebration of Big Wind Day that happened in Washington more than 80 years ago remains a significant event.
How to Celebrate National Big Wind Day
Have loads of fun enjoying National Big Wind by celebrating and paying heed to this day with a few of these ideas:
Fly a Kite
Even folks who don’t live near a particularly windy place might be able to find some little gusts to celebrate National Big Wind Day with.
And one of the best activities to do on a windy spring day is to fly a kite. From a traditional diamond kite to a box kite, from a sled kite to a delta kite, there are tons of different options to have fun playing in the sky on a windy day.
Make a Windy Day Playlist
A great way to make a boring day into a good day is by providing it with a special playlist! Opportunities for making a playlist for National Big Wind Day are kind of fun and a bit silly.
Check out some of these songs that could be used to get started:
- Wind of Change by Scorpions (1990)
- Against the Wind by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (1980)
- Dust in the Wind by Kansas (1977)
- Blowin’ in the Wind by Peter, Paul and Mary (1963)
Visit the Windy City
Although the biggest wind was recorded in Washington state, the town with the reputation as “The Windy City” is located in Chicago, Illinois.
Take a little visit to this unique city in the middle of the US and catch some of those winds off Lake Michigan that it is so well known for.
While there, catch some other interesting sights, such as the iconic John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) the Field Museum, or the Cloud Gate statue.
Facts About National Big Wind Day
The Mount Washington Wind Record Stood for Over Six Decades
On April 12, 1934, observers at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire recorded a surface wind gust of 231 miles per hour using a heated anemometer, a mark that stood as the world’s fastest directly measured surface wind for 62 years.
The World Meteorological Organization later recognized a 1996 gust of 253 mph on Barrow Island, Australia, during Tropical Cyclone Olivia as the new record, but the Mount Washington measurement remains one of the most carefully documented extreme wind events in meteorological history.
An Italian Polymath Invented the First Recognizable Anemometer
The basic instrument used to measure wind speed, the anemometer, traces back to Italian Renaissance scientist Leon Battista Alberti, who described a mechanical device for gauging wind in the mid‑15th century.
Later refinements by figures such as Robert Hooke and John Thomas Romney Robinson in the 17th and 19th centuries turned Alberti’s concept into the cup and vane anemometers that became standard tools for weather observatories around the world.
Chicago Is Not Actually America’s Windiest Big City
Chicago’s nickname “The Windy City” is rooted more in 19th‑century political boasting and newspaper rivalries than in meteorology, and its average wind speeds are lower than several other major U.S. cities.
Long‑term National Weather Service data show places like Dodge City, Kansas, and Amarillo, Texas, as significantly windier, while among large coastal cities, Boston and New York City often record higher mean wind speeds than Chicago.
Hurricane‑Force Winds Begin Far Below Record Gusts
Meteorologists classify “hurricane‑force” winds as sustained speeds of at least 74 miles per hour, which corresponds to Category 1 on the Saffir‑Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, far below extreme record gusts above 200 miles per hour.
By Category 3, with sustained winds of 111 to 129 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center anticipates “devastating damage,” including major structural failure of small buildings and loss of electricity and water for days or weeks.
The Beaufort Scale Turned Wind Into a Practical Language for Sailors
Before the 19th century, mariners had no standardized way to report wind strength, so British naval officer Francis Beaufort created a 13‑point scale in 1805 based on how wind affected sails and seas.
Later adapted to land conditions and expanded to 17 levels, the Beaufort scale links qualitative descriptions like “fresh breeze” or “violent storm” to specific wind speed ranges, and it is still used in marine forecasts and climatological records today.
Jet Streams Can Blow Faster Than Many Hurricanes
High above the ground, narrow bands of fast‑moving air known as jet streams commonly reach speeds between 80 and 140 miles per hour, and in strong wintertime events can exceed 200 miles per hour.
These powerful upper‑level winds steer storm systems, strongly influence flight times on transoceanic routes, and play a key role in shaping weather patterns across entire continents.
Extreme Winds Are a Critical Design Factor for Modern Structures
Engineers routinely use regional “basic wind speed” maps, such as those published in the ASCE 7 structural loading standard, to ensure that buildings, bridges, and towers can withstand rare but powerful gusts.
In hurricane‑prone U.S. coastal areas, design wind speeds for critical facilities can exceed 150 miles per hour, influencing everything from roof fasteners and window glazing to the aerodynamic shape of skyscrapers.
