Got Wind??? Chicago can't hold a candle to us...

[grzftbl]

I'm in Billings...57 today--wind, that is.


Winds reach 87 mph in Eastern Montana Sunday

By CHELSEA KROTZER Of The Gazette Staff The Billings Gazette | Posted: Sunday, February 13, 2011 4:30 pm |

High winds hit Eastern Montana Sunday, blowing at 57 mph in Billings and as hard as 87 mph near Red Lodge.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Leach said the preliminary reports show several trees have blown over in the Red Lodge area. The Billings office has not received any other damage reports yet.

"We don't expect damage reports to come in until later today or Monday," Leach said.

A gust of 87 mph blew over about 40 trees at Red Lodge Mountain at 11 p.m. Saturday, closing Cold Creek Sunday. Grizzly Peak was temporarily closed because of the wind, but reopened by noon Sunday.

"We have a large amount of branches to clear," said Jeff Schmidt, general manager. "No lifts were damaged and no one was hurt. It wasn't going on while we were here."

Schmidt said a window was blown from one of the top lift shacks, 20 percent of the shingles off the main lodge were blown off and employees found trash cans blown a half mile away.

"The trees probably would have been a lot worse, but we had that big blow down in 2007 that god rid of most of the weak ones I'm sure," Schmidt said.

Winds reached 58 mph in Columbus, 63 mph in Roundup, 60 in Reed Point and 82 mph at Bridges Junction in Sheridan County, Wyo.

"They (Sheridan County) also had blowing snow with 4 to 6 foot drifts," Leach said. "At one point Highway 14 was closed."

According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, that portion of the highway has been reopened.

The winds were at their highest Saturday night and early Sunday morning. They are expected to slow down by Sunday afternoon.

With the high winds came an increase in temperatures around the region. Leach said Billings got as high as 51 degrees Sunday, and will stay in the 50s through Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to drop Thursday to 47 as a storm system comes through the area. The system is expected to bring some snow and bring temperatures down to the low 20s by Friday.

"We're not looking at teens or single digits, but it will be cooler," Leach said.

Leach said the warm weather is normal for this time of year.

"It's not odd, in fact it's a little more odd it hasn't happened this year yet," Leach said.

The warm weather didn't break any records, though. Leach said Billings was 66 degrees in 1997.

[revnecro1273]

homer

[Da Fanatic]

Chicago is known as the Windy City not because of the extreme wind here but because of all the crap talked by the politicians. This is still true today with our current pols.

[revnecro1273]

Originally Posted by Da Fanatic

Chicago is known as the Windy City not because of the extreme wind here but because of all the crap talked by the politicians. This is still true today with our current pols.

exactly true

[FalconFreak]

get on a onec way bus dude.

[grzftbl]

Originally Posted by Da Fanatic

Chicago is known as the Windy City not because of the extreme wind here but because of all the crap talked by the politicians. This is still true today with our current pols.

[chibob]

#1 windiest city..Fargo N D

#2 Wichita KS

The word Kansas comes from the name of an Indian Tribe, Kansa Tribe, meaning "Tribe of the Wind"

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

You aint kidding. It was crazy windy today.