November 1, 2023 | Sign Up | Support Us

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Wichita!

Only 54 days until Christmas! And only 22 days until Thanksgiving!

In today's Wichita Life Update

How windy is Wichita?
Why is it so windy?
Fun Facts

Let's get to it!

- Landon Huslig

TOGETHER WITH THE CITY OF WICHITA

Wichita Chess Festival coming in November

There are always a ton of events in Wichita.

I mean, that's probably why you read this email right? To stay up to date with all the awesome events..

The City of Wichita and the Parks & Rec Department also put on a bunch of awesome events themselves. Here are a few coming up:

Adult Spelling Bee - Advanced learning Library - 11/3
Wichita Chess Festival - Naftzger Park - 11/4 (I'll see you there if you want to watch me get embarrassed)
Minute to Win It City Crew Event - Boston Rec Center - 11/18
Watson's Christmas Express - Watson Park - 11/24 - 12/23
Breakfast with the Grinch City Crew Event - Evergreen Rec Center - 12/16

Learn More Here

“It would be so nice out if it weren’t so windy.”

wind blowing hair funny gif | Hair humor, Hair gif, Hair in ...

If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard (or said) this, I would be a very wealthy man.

While watching the wind ~~aggressively~~ gently blow the trees in my back yard last week, I asked myself, “how windy is Wichita, really?”

You always hear about Chicago being the “windy city”, but what about Windy Wichita?

Well, I did some digging and I officially have the answer.

Compared to the rest of the nation, Wichita is very windy.

Ranking

Wichita makes its way onto a lot of “Best of (or worst of)” lists for the US.

We have one more for you:

Top 10 Windiest Cities in the US

Infographic showing the ten windiest cities in the United States.

That’s right, it’s not just something everyone says, we are actually one of the windiest places in America.

We are 9th (higher on some lists, lower on others) with our fellow Kansas town of Dodge City coming in #1. Dodge City is higher due to closer proximity to the mountains.

Contrary to popular belief, Chicago is only the 35th windiest city (it is named the windy city due to the cities politicians were “full of hot air” back in the 19th century).

Why is it so windy in Wichita (or Kansas)?

There are several things in play when it comes to how windy it is in our city and in our state, let's dive into a few.

Geography & Topography

Lost States: Is Kansas flatter than a pancake?

Kansas is said to be “flatter than a pancake”, but apparently some pancakes are flatter than others.

We are actually only the 7th flattest state in the US (behind Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Delaware).

But this does play a huge factor. Without any mountain ranges or large bodies of water (no, El Dorado Lake doesn’t count) or really any “surface roughness”, there is nothing to obstruct or slow down the winds as they sweep across the Great Plains from the mountains.

Low-Level Jet

If you look to our neighbors in the west, you’ll see something we like to call the Rocky Mountains. These big guys play a big role in the wind.

When the jet stream crosses the mountains it leads to low pressure systems developing close to the surface and to the east.

Air Masses Meet

The mountains aren’t the only thing that encourages a windy state here. The Central US is a battleground for different air masses.

When the cool, dry air from Canada meets up with the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, it can lead to strong winds as the air masses mix.

This is especially true in the spring and fall.

When all of these different air masses meet and it gets windy, you start to understand where the nickname Tornado Alley comes from.

Chinook Winds

Occasionally, Wichita and other parts of Kansas experience the Chinook winds.

These are warm, dry winds that originate in the Rocky Mountains. As these winds descend the eastern slopes of the Rockies, they warm up and pick up speed, leading to particularly warm and windy conditions in the plains.

Fun Facts for Wichita

Average Wind Speed: 11.5mph (Dodge City is 15mph)
Average Windiest Month: April
Record Wind Gust: 101 mph on July 11, 1993

Now that you have taken my (unqualified) crash course on Kansas weather and meteorology, the next time someone says something about why it’s so windy, you can reply:

Well Actually Liam Scott Edwards GIF - Well Actually Liam Scott Edwards Ace Trainer Liam GIFs

Brings a whole new meaning to the nickname “Air Capital of the World”, eh?

TOGETHER WITH TERRADYNE COUNTRY CLUB

Fall is the absolute BEST time of year to play golf and enjoy the great outdoors…..and NOW is the perfect time to join Terradyne Country Club!

Terradyne is offering some great incentives to join and become part of their Terradyne Family.

Terradyne offers:

Premier Links style course,
360-degree driving range
large chipping and putting greens with clubhouse amenities for the entire family
fitness center
tennis and pickleball courts
outdoor pool
adult Pub
Family Dining room
and bar area with exceptional events and parties throughout the year!

Offering golf and social memberships to fit your lifestyle and recreational interests.

*Join now and take advantage of a special price incentive if you mention Wichita Life! Call Leah Doshier at 316-733-2582 x209 or email: leah@terradynecountryclub.com.

Learn More Here