I always tell folks Indiana should be renamed Windiana. If you look at a weather almanac this state is in the top 10 for windiest states and today was good proof. Wind gusts reach 40 mph here at WLFI and 46 mph in Peru. Sustained winds of 39 mph are needed to have an official Tropical Storm. Here in Lafayette we certainly had a wind storm. This was a strange day that featured sleet and winter to start and a beautiful finish with a postcard sunset and temperatures topping off near 60. Nature will finally decide on Spring for Wednesday with much lighter winds.
This usually does not last long during the first part of Spring as it is also the start of our severe weather season and wind season. The reason for the wind season can be seen clearly above. Yesterday high temperatures in Texas soared to 80 degrees while areas in northern Minnesota struggled to get above freezing. This 50 degree temperature contrast helps to whip up a potent jet stream in the atmosphere. The higher sun angle in the sky helps to mix down this wind energy here in Lafayette. Yesteday the sustained wind speeds over Lafayette at 36,000 feet were a whopping 110 mph. Thanks to our strongest sun angle since September and a cold front moving through the area this wind was mixed down to the surface. So again make sure to tell your friends that the windier it is the better. It is a sign of Spring playing tug of war with winter and we all know which one will eventually when the battle. But it may come at a price with a named storm for Lafayette on the way by Wednesday night through Friday. We will skip the Q and go with a male "R" this time around. Send in suggestions so I can use your storm name on my Wednesday blog.
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