SOURCE: National Weather Service Portland, Oregon

PORTLAND's
WIND RECORDS AND DATA

Period of Record...October 1940 - May 1999

Climatic

Averages

 Extremes of Wind (1951-June 1999)
Highest Avg. Fastest Mile2 Peak Wind Gust
Month Dir. Speed Speed Year Dir. Speed Year Dir. Speed Year
Jan. ESE 9.9 15.1 1995 S 54 1951 SW 63 1990
Feb. ESE 9.2 12.2 1993 SW 61 1958 S 68 1965
March ESE 8.3 10.9 1956 S 57 1963 S 71 1971
April NW 7.4 9.3 1981 S 60 1957 S 63 1972
May NW 7.1 8.6 1963 SW 42 1960 SW 48 1971
June NW 7.2 9.1 1974 SW 40 1958 SW 40 1994, '97
July NW 7.6 8.9 1962 SW 33 1983 SW 35 1983
Aug. NW 7.1 8.7 1966 SW 29 1961 E 38 1966
Sept. NW 6.5 8.0 1961 S 61 1963 SW 61 1963
Oct. ESE 6.5 8.4 1975 S 88 1962 S 1043 1962
Nov. ESE 8.6 11.2 1979 SW 56 1961 S 71 1981
Dec. ESE 9.5 12.9 1977 S 57 1951 S 74 19954
Annual ESE 7.9 8.8 1995 S 88 Oct 1962 S 1043 Oct 1962

1Wind Speeds are in units of miles per hour (mph). Dir is an abbreviation for direction. Climatic Records are 1961-90.

2Fastest Mile is the speed it takes for one mile of wind to pass a given point in one minute.

3Wind equipment recorded 104 mph before being damaged during the infamous Columbus Day storm.

4Peak wind gust recorders recorded 74 mph, while the ASOS (Automatic Surface Observation System) recorded 62 mph.



FIVE WINDIEST MONTHS AND YEARS
(1951-June 1999)
Rank
January
February
March
April
1.
 15.1 mph in 1995 12.2 mph in 1993 10.9 mph in 1956 9.3 mph in 1981
2.
 13.5 mph in 1993 12.1 mph in 1999 10.2 mph in 1989 9.2 mph in 1958
3.
 12.7 mph in 1961 12.1 mph in 1989 10.1 mph in 1995 8.9 mph in 1993
4.
 12.2 mph in 1973 11.4 mph in 1982 9.8 mph in 1975 8.5 mph in 1955
5.
 12.0 mph in 1974 11.0 mph in 1980 9.7 mph in 1957 8.4 mph in 1980

Rank
May
June
July
August
1.
 8.6 mph in 1963 9.1 mph in 1974 8.9 mph in 1962 8.7 mph in 1966
2.
 8.5 mph in 1974 8.8 mph in 1979 8.8 mph in 1981 8.3 mph in 1975
3.
 8.4 mph in 1975 8.6 mph in 1962 8.7 mph in 1967 8.2 mph in 1994
4.
 8.2 mph in 1978 8.5 mph in 1977 8.6 mph in 1961 8.1 mph in 1963
5.
 8.1 mph in 1979 8.3 mph in 1981 8.5 mph in 1994 8.0 mph in 1981

Rank
September
October
November
December
1.
 8.0 mph in 1961 8.4 mph in 1975 11.2 mph in 1979 12.9 mph in 1977
2.
 7.9 mph in 1971 8.3 mph in 1957 11.0 mph in 1963 12.0 mph in 1955
3.
 7.8 mph in 1981 8.2 mph in 1982 10.7 mph in 1977 11.9 mph in 1972
4.
 7.7 mph in 1979 8.0 mph in 1963 10.4 mph in 1983 11.8 mph in 1968
5.
 7.4 mph in 1977 7.8 mph in 1979 10.1 mph in 1970 11.7 mph in 1964

Top Five Most Windy Years
(Avg. Annual speed 7.9 mph)

Top Five Least Windy Years
(Avg. Annual speed 7.9 mph)