That is a lot of wind and even the 10th city on the list averages well in excess of 12 mph. Surprisingly very few of the cities on the list are located on the coasts near the ocean where one might expect continuous winds.
All the cities on the list would be great places to build wind farms for electricity, and no the so called Windy City of Chicago does not make this list. There are a number of places in the United States that average higher wind speeds than the cities listed here but they are mainly just weather stations and not cities.
The weather station on top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire averages a whopping 35.3 mph wind speed, which is the highest average wind speed in the United States.
1) Milton, Massachusetts - 15.4 mph annual average wind speed
The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory located in the city of Milton, Massachusetts records annual average wind speeds of 15.4 mph. That makes Milton the windiest weather city in the United States. Milton is located south of Boston and has a population of around 26,000.
2) Dodge City, Kansas - 14 mph
Dodge City in southwestern Kansas is the 2nd windiest weather city in the United States with an annual average wind speed of 14 mph. Tornadoes and other severe weather affected by wind is common in Dodge City which has a population of around 26,000 people.
3) Amarillo, Texas - 13.5 mph
Located in the middle of the Panhandle in Texas is the 3rd windiest weather city of Amarillo which averages 13.5 mph winds. Amarillo lies in the western portion of Tornado Alley and has a population of around 180,000 which makes it the 15th largest city in Texas.
4) Rochester, Minnesota - 13.1 mph
Rochester is located in the southeastern part of Minnesota and averages 13.1 mph wind speeds. About 104,000 people live in Rochester which in addition to being one of the windiest cities in the country is also one of highest income cities in the USA probably because the biggest employer in the city is the Mayo Clinic.
5) Casper, Wyoming - 12.9 mph
Casper in east-central Wyoming averages 12.9 mph winds annually and has a population of 53,500 people.
6) Cheyenne, Wyoming - 12.8 mph
The capital city of Cheyenne is located in southeastern Wyoming about 140 miles south of Casper and averages 12.8 mph wind speeds annually. Cheyenne has a population of around 58,000 and despite the windy weather averages 68% of possible sunshine per year which is well above average but far short of the Best Weather Cities in the United States.
7) Great Falls, Montana - 12.7 mph
Great Falls in central Montana averages 12.7 mph winds annually and at least part of that wind comes in the form of the famous Chinook winds which are warm weather winds originating off the Pacific Ocean which greatly moderate the temperatures in Great Falls in the winter.
A strong Chinook wind can raise a wintertime temperature by 40 to 50 degrees in a matter of hours. About 57,000 people live in Great Falls, Montana. which is one of the most affordable cities in the United States.
8) Goodland, Kansas - 12.6 mph
Located in northwest Kansas the 5,000 population city of Goodland averages 12.6 mph wind speeds annually which makes it the 8th windiest weather city in the country and second windiest city in Kansas.
9) Boston, Massachusetts - 12.5 mph
Boston averages 12.5 mph winds annually which makes it the 2nd windiest capital city in the United States as well as the largest population windiest city in the country. Boston is the capital city of Massachusetts and has a population of 650,000. Boston is also the second windiest city in Massachusetts behind nearby Milton and both Boston and Milton are the only windy cities on the list located on the coast near an ocean.
10) Lubbock, Texas - 12.4 mph
The 10th windiest weather city in the United States is Lubbock, Texas with average wind speeds of 12.4 mph. Lubbock has a population of 226,000 people and is located in northwestern Texas just south of the Panhandle. Lubbock is the 11th largest city in Texas and second windiest city in the state behind Amarillo.
There are two windy weather cities on the list from the states of Massachusetts, Texas, Kansas and Wyoming, while Montana and Minnesota each have one. The majority of the cities on the list are from the middle of the country, but most people would probably guess the windiest cities in the United States are located along the coasts near the ocean.
Source:http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/usrecords.htm
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