Weather can define a region – some are hot and humid, while others are cold and rainy. People often take this into account when they move so they can live in a city that best fits their taste. Those who like it hot may move to Phoenix or Miami, while people who like it cold may move to Duluth or Seattle. However, an often-overlooked aspect of the weather is wind. But which cities are the windiest?
So, if you’re considering moving to a new area, we’re here to help. Redfin has compiled a list of the windiest cities in the U.S. to help you move with confidence. Read on to discover if one of these cities is right for you.
How we determine the windiest cities
For our purposes of determining the “windiest” cities, this list will focus on cities that have the highest average annual wind speed. Many cities frequently see strong bursts of wind, like those from tornadoes and hurricanes, but are relatively calm otherwise, so they don’t make the cut. This list focuses on consistency over an entire year.
Because of this, some cities in the Great Plains from central Texas to South Dakota (known as Tornado Alley) and the Southeast from Louisiana to Tennessee (known as Dixie Alley) don’t make the list. Similarly, most cities that see hurricanes along the Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Atlantic Coast also don’t make the list. Wind certainly plays a major role in these cities, however, so always do your research to understand a city’s wind risk before making the move.
Keep reading to see Redfin’s rankings of the windiest cities in the U.S. with a population of 100,000 or more. Afterwards, we’ll also mention the least windy cities.
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What are the windiest cities in the U.S.?
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1. Amarillo, Texas
- Average wind speed: 12.9 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 84 mph (1949)
Amarillo, TX, is the windiest major city in the U.S. Its strong, consistent winds are due to its location in the Southwestern Great Plains. This is because the Plains are especially prone to winds due to their air pressure instability and flat, dry, and unforested terrain. With fewer obstructions, the wind has time to pick up speed. Additionally, the Plains experience strong springtime winds from the Nocturnal Low-Level Jet.
The city’s wind record occurred during the typically calm winter, when powerful gusts from a storm over the Rocky Mountains brought intense winds to the area. This is a fairly common phenomenon across the Western Plains. Low pressure moves west across the tall mountains before speeding (and spinning) downhill due to strong temperature and elevation differences.
So, do you want to move to the windiest city in the country? If so, buying a home in Amarillo will cost an average of $226,000, which is well below the national average of $412,000. Or, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment averages $970, below the national median of around $2,000.
2. Rochester, Minnesota
- Average wind speed: 12.0 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 74 mph (2019)
Rochester is the second-windiest city in the U.S., beating out nearby Chicago and Minneapolis by a wide margin. In contrast to most other windy cities, Rochester sees some of its strongest winds in the winter due to cold fronts from Canada. This is often followed by warm southerly winds from the Rocky Mountains.
Interestingly, however, the region’s highest wind speed of 74 mph came in August, which is their calmest month on average. This wind came from a derecho, which are widespread and severe bands of windstorms and thunderstorms that can produce damage similar to a tornado. Derechos are fairly rare, but they’re most common in the Midwest during the summer and can affect every city on this list.
Buying a home in Rochester will cost an average of $305,000, which is below the national average. If you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment averages $1,520.
3. Lubbock, Texas
- Average wind speed: 12.0 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 90 mph (1952)
Just 120 miles south of Amarillo, Lubbock, TX, is the third-windiest city in the country. Lubbock is dominated by flat, dry prairies, oil wells, and cattle ranches, and owes its wind to strong thunderstorms, pressure instability, and flat terrain. The city experiences nearly identical weather to nearby cities, including Amarillo.
If you’re considering buying a home in Lubbock, you’ll find that the median home sale price is around $245,000, well below the national average. Or, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the average monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment is about $690.
4. Corpus Christi, Texas
- Average wind speed: 11.7 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 161 mph (1970)
Also one of the hottest cities in the U.S., Corpus Christi, TX, is the fourth-windiest city in the country. In contrast to Midwestern cities, Corpus Christi’s wind comes from consistent summer breezes from the Gulf of Mexico and winter storms from the west and northwest. This region’s wind is consistent all year, with speeds generally sitting between 10 and 13 mph.
Corpus Christi’s strongest wind gust came from a hurricane (Celia in 1970), which is far higher than any other city on this list. Other cities may have seen stronger winds from tornadoes, but modern instruments are not durable enough to withstand those extreme wind speeds. Hurricanes are rare in Corpus Christi, but can be devastating.
If living near the Gulf of Mexico sounds appealing, buying a home in Corpus Christi will cost around $252,000, far below the national average. Or, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the average price for a one-bedroom apartment is around $995.
Learn more about living in Corpus Christi.
5. Wichita, Kansas
- Average wind speed: 11.5 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 101 mph (1993)
Wichita is the fifth-windiest city and follows the same trends as other midwest cities. Spring is the windiest season, summer is the calmest, and strong thunderstorms are common. One such thunderstorm in the summer produced the city’s highest recorded wind speed.
If you’re considering buying a home in Wichita, KS, you’ll find that the median home sale price is around $233,000, below the national average. Or, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the average monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment is about $845.
6. Boston, Massachusetts
- Average wind speed: 11.5 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 90 mph (2019)
Boston, MA, is the sixth-windiest city and the only city on the East Coast. Thanks to its northern location, the city sees very consistent breezes from the colder north Atlantic Ocean year-round, but can see stronger storms in the fall and winter. The strongest storms come from the collision of cold Canadian air and warm air from the southern Atlantic, which bring heavy rain, snow, and wind as they move northward (from warm to cold). These fairly common and notorious storms are called “nor’easters.”
Boston’s strongest wind gust actually came from a “sou’easter”, which is similar to well-known nor’easters, but instead caused by an excess of warmer air from the southeastern Atlantic. Sou’easters are more common in the fall and early winter.
Buying a home in Boston will cost an average of $770,000, which is nearly twice the national average. If you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment averages $3,840.
Learn more about living in Boston.
7. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Average wind speed: 11.3 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 151 mph (2011)
Oklahoma is known for its flat terrain, strong winds, and being in prime tornado territory. In fact, in 1999, the Oklahoma City area saw the strongest unofficial wind speed on earth when an EF-5 tornado struck near Bridge Creek. The tornado’s wind speed was measured at 301 mph (+/- 20 mph), although it’s an approximation and is not an official record.
Similar to other Midwestern cities, Oklahoma City gets its ample wind from pressure instability and evening thunderstorms. While the area’s record wind gust data is scarce, the most accurate data comes from a close encounter with a tornado that struck nearby.
If moving to Oklahoma City, OK, sounds appealing, you’ll find the median home sale price to be $255,000, well below the national average. Or, if you’re looking to rent an apartment, the average cost of a one-bedroom unit is about $860.
Learn more about living in Oklahoma City.
8. Wichita Falls, Texas
- Average wind speed: 11.2 mph
- Record highest wind speed: unknown
Wichita Fall, TX, is the eight-windiest city in the country and one of the most prone to tornadoes. Similar to Amarillo, Lubbock, and other Central and Western Texas cities, Wichita sees the strongest winds during the spring and thunderstorms in the summer.
Wichita Falls has seen plenty of strong storms, including an F-5 and F-4 tornado. While these storms can produce winds in excess of 250 mph, the readings are approximate and unofficial. Its strongest official winds likely came from a strong thunderstorm, but records are incomplete.
If you’re considering buying a home in Wichita Falls, TX, you’ll find that the median home sale price is around $265,000, below the national average. Or, if you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the average monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment is about $780.
9. Fargo, North Dakota
- Average wind speed: 11.1 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 110 mph (1999)
Fargo, ND, is the ninth-windiest city in the U.S. and one of the coldest Although it’s farther north than other cities on this list, it’s still exceptionally flat and experiences a large amount of pressure instability, leading to strong, consistent winds.
Fargo’s highest wind speed likely came from the massive Boundary Waters-Canadian derecho that moved from North Dakota, through southern Canada, and back into New England until dissipating on the coast of Maine.
If you’re interested in moving to the largest city in North Dakota, buying a house in Fargo will cost an average of $280,000, which is less than this time last year. Or if renting an apartment is more in your budget, you’ll find the average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment to be around $975.
10. Abilene, Texas
- Average wind speed: 10.9 mph
- Record highest wind speed: 78 mph (1983)
Abilene, TX, rounds out our list as the tenth-windiest city in the country. Just like nearby Lubbock and Wichita Falls, Abilene sees an excess of wind due to flat terrain, unstable air, and strong summer storms.
Buying a home in Abilene will cost an average of $255,000, which is far below the national average. If you’re thinking of renting an apartment, the monthly rent price for a one-bedroom apartment averages around $685.
The 10 least windy cities in the U.S.
Some people may want to choose where to live based on how calm the weather is. If this is you, here’s a list of the least windy major U.S. cities:
- Los Angeles, CA: 1.9 mph
- Chattanooga, TN: 5.0 mph
- Tallahassee, FL: 5.5 mph
- Augusta, GA: 5.5 mph
- Long Beach, CA: 5.6 mph
- Montgomery, AL: 5.9 mph
- Macon, GA: 5.9 mph
- Gainesville, FL: 6.0 mph
- Columbus, GA: 6.0 mph
- Knoxville, TN: 6.0 mph
What is the highest wind speed ever recorded in the U.S.?
Mount Washington holds the record for strongest wind speed in the United States at 231 mph in 1934, which was also the world record for over 60 years until Tropical Cyclone Olivia (253 mph) broke it in 1996. Mount Washington is consistently very windy, with an average annual wind speed of 35.8 mph, more than double any city in the country.
Tornadoes are actually capable of producing the strongest winds in the world, but they’re so destructive that they destroy measuring equipment when they cross paths. Because of this, tornadoes are excluded from wind speed records due to unreliable measurements. However, we can still estimate tornado wind speeds by using mobile doppler radars that measure the speed of dust or debris within the tornado.
How is wind changing?
As the world warms and climate change continues, average wind speeds are actually likely going to decrease. This is due to rising average temperatures, especially in traditionally cooler places. Wind is caused by changes in pressure and temperature, usually from low to high and cold to warm. So, as cold places get warmer, the temperature differences that drive global wind patterns will shrink, leading to slower wind speeds.
However, the opposite is true with severe storms, which are expected to increase. This is especially pronounced with hurricanes, which rely on warm water to grow. As ocean temperatures rise, hurricanes are projected to become more frequent and destructive. Tornadoes are also slightly favored to become more common and will likely have a greater impact on infrastructure.
Methodology
This list contains annual wind speed data for major cities with over 100,000 residents according to the 2020 census. 2020 Comparative Climatic Data was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its subsidiary, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
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