A strong mid-latitude cyclone brought very strong wind to North Dakota on November 18 and 19, 2015.
The strong wind arrived in far western North Dakota around sunrise on the 18th and moved easterly during the day, arriving in the Red River Valley near or just after sunset that afternoon.
The North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) mesonet stations record wind at 3 meter (10 feet) above the surface. Peak wind gust from Wednesday, November 18, 2015 and through 10:00 AM on Thursday November 19, 2015 can be observed below.
Because the wind has settled down somewhat, these maximum wind speeds below may be the peak gust for the entire day at most of the NDAWN locations.
Airport sensors measure wind at a height of 10 meters (33 feet) and with less frictional forces will have higher wind speed. Below is a list from the National Weather Service of maximum 24 hour wind speeds through 6:00 AM, November 19, 2015.
The wind is expected to gradually relax today with snow showers ending in North Dakota this morning. Otherwise, cold with maximums remaining below freezing through the day.
Daryl Ritchison