Colorado Climate Center Looking for Wind Data from Community Members and Businesses

Note to Editors:

The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University is looking for historical wind data records that have been recorded over time by individuals or businesses along the Front Range. The center is using the data to develop an extreme wind speed map that will help improve building design and construction practices throughout the region.

"So far, we have been able to find about 20 weather stations with anywhere from one year to a few decades of wind gust data. However, we need as many years of data as we can find from as many locations as possible to get a better idea of the highest wind speeds we could expect and where they might occur," said Nolan Doesken, research climatologist at the Colorado Climate Center. "The mountains, foothills, valleys and canyons all work together to deflect or focus Colorado’s winds. This is one of the more challenging areas of the country to estimate winds and their effects on buildings."

The map will be developed by a consulting engineer in Fort Collins and reviewed by structural engineers and building officials for adoption by local building codes.  Future maps are anticipated for other areas of Colorado.

Individuals or businesses with anemometers (wind speed measurement instruments) that they believe are well exposed to the wind and who are willing to contribute their data records to this data bank are encouraged to call the Climate Center at (970) 491-3690 or contact Doesken at the Colorado Climate Center, Foothills Campus, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Doesken can also be reached via e-mail at nolan@atmos.colostate.edu.

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