National Big Wind Day
Nature's powerful gusts, bending trees and stirring the world, an awe-inspiring force reminding us of Earth's untamed might.
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!
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.
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