Muiricane

Surprisingly, the upper mountain (up to about 12000 ft) remained in view from Paradise during much of the peak wind period. These three webcam images were captured at 1350, 1400, and 1410 on 12Feb2011, when the wind was continuously above 105 mph and gusted over 150 mph (the clouds fully obscured the view shortly afterwards):






I've often been curious about the anemometers used at NWAC sites, too, including their calibration and whether any altitude (air density) correction is required. Perhaps Mark or Garth from NWAC can answer? (maybe I should email them).

Lots of great extreme wind/anemometer info on the Mt. Washington observatory site: www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/recordwind.php .

The summit station there holds the record for highest recorded surface gust at 231 mph. Unreal.

The wind gauges we use at the NWAC are manufactured by a small local company called Taylor Scientific. Here are photos from the St Helens station. I believe they are fairly accurate for the speeds measured recently at Muir but I'll ask Mark when I see him as I think there are specs available.

First photo is anemometer (wind speed) and second photo is wind vane ( wind direction).

I guess I should add the the half circle shaped cups on the anemometer cause the upper part of the anemometer to spin which generates a voltage which is measured by the station datalogger. And that the fin or tail on the vane rotates the upper part of the vane to point into the wind which allows a certain voltage to pass through the vane and be measured by the station datalogger.

It looks like most of Feb. 12 is missing on all of the 10 day telemetry.

2 14 400 14 94 48 57 66 276 1
2 14 300 13 95 49 61 71 276 1
2 14 200 15 94 50 58 65 276 0
2 14 100 15 94 55 59 67 276 0
2 14 0 14 93 50 61 68 276 0
2 13 2300 11 93 52 64 72 276 0
2 13 2200 17 93 44 52 63 276 1
2 13 2100 17 95 42 48 56 276 1
2 13 2000 18 96 37 45 53 276 1
2 13 1900 18 96 38 45 53 276 1
2 13 1800 20 97 41 61 75 266 7
2 13 1700 17 90 50 62 72 247 77
2 13 1600 15 44 0 35 72 251 214
2 13 1500 18 13 0 2 36 250 273
2 13 1400 16 23 0 26 50 245 415
2 13 1300 24 10 28 44 63 251 580
2 13 1200 24 11 35 53 72 246 627
2 13 1100 22 15 21 46 65 247 499
2 13 1000 21 12 20 38 53 248 350
2 13 900 19 17 20 31 49 253 183
2 13 800 17 29 18 31 49 250 30
2 13 700 17 39 12 22 36 253 0
2 13 600 15 94 4 11 23 276 0
2 13 500 12 94 8 23 38 251 0

---

2 12 400 18 71 67 94 116 244 1
2 12 300 18 68 88 106 122 243 0
2 12 200 18 73 83 104 126 244 0
2 12 100 17 69 73 94 114 248 0
2 12 0 19 44 58 83 100 243 0
2 11 2300 20 31 68 84 103 245 1
2 11 2200 20 80 62 83 101 242 0
2 11 2100 20 81 70 85 109 244 1
2 11 2000 19 91 57 83 100 245 0
2 11 1900 19 96 54 77 93 250 1
2 11 1800 19 96 51 76 95 249 4
2 11 1700 18 95 48 76 92 249 40
2 11 1600 17 92 53 71 87 249 108
2 11 1500 18 87 47 71 87 246 197
2 11 1400 20 91 42 70 85 248 283
2 11 1300 19 93 28 65 83 251 311
2 11 1200 19 27 44 77 104 245 322
2 11 1100 18 33 65 81 95 247 316
2 11 1000 18 49 69 82 97 247 245
2 11 900 17 49 68 79 91 242 122
2 11 800 17 60 57 74 85 243 17
2 11 700 18 40 43 67 85 250 0
2 11 600 18 31 48 63 87 249 0
2 11 500 19 51 32 53 71 247 0

I got to 14k on Rainier on a bluebird day in February a few years ago. Not a cloud in the sky. It got windier and windier above Gib Rock and at 14k I was lifted off the ground and thrown 20+ feet. At that point it was blowing too hard to stand up and we reverse-front pointed back to Gib Rock. The wind was coming out of the north and as soon was we dropped below Camp Comfort, it was calm...and even warm. But we both had large amounts of ice on our faces, eyebrows, etc. I had blistered windburns on my wrists.

And not a wisp of cloud or lenticular. I don't know how hard it was blowing, but I must have totalled around 200 pounds with boots, pons, and gear.

I've also heard that the BBQ grill that used to be at Schurman broke a chain tether and blew away in strong winds years ago.