Yes, It's Been Windy This November. No, It's Not Odd

Leaves fly through the air on strong gusts as a rainbow
glows in the background in St. Albans, Vermont in 
late October, 2017.  Late October and November tend
to be quite windy in Vermont, especially in the 
Champlain Valley. 

Here in Vermont, especially in the Champlain Valley, it's been a windy November so far. Eleven of the 20 days we've had so far in Burlington have featured gusts over 30 mph.  

I'm including today, since predawn gusts exceeded 30 mph. Three days this month, including yesterday, topped 40 mph. 

Meanwhile, large swaths of the nation have been under various  high wind warnings and wind advisories. 

The month of March seems to have won the windy reputation, but November typically also a really windy month.  Transition seasons, like late autumn and early spring, like March, tend to be windy.  Storm systems from late fall through the winter into early spring tend to be stronger, so you get more winds.

Meanwhile, in November, the lasts gasps of autumn warmth try to get into the picture. In March, the first awakenings of spring do the same. That helps add to the windy atmosphere. 

A common weather pattern in late October and November feature storms moving north over the Great Lakes as they head toward Canada. The lake water is still relatively warm, and that helps add energy to these storms, making them even stronger. Hence the wind. 

Winds in storms, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, go counterclockwise.  If you're east of the storm, the wind comes out of the south. A storm in the Great Lakes puts Vermont to the east of the storm, so the gusts roar in from the south. 

The orientation of the Champlain Valley, squeezed between the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, tend to funnel the wind up the valley. The mountains squeeze the air from the south as it comes into the Champlain Valley, making those south winds stronger in places like Middlebury, Burlington, St. Albans and especially the islands. 

Once those Great Lakes storms, or other storms wandering up the coast end up in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, they also tend to strengthen. That leaves us with cold, strong northwest winds.

In those situations, it tends to be windy everywhere in Vermont, but especially along the east slopes of the Green Mountains. The air is forced to rise over the mountains, then it gains momentum as the gusts roar down the east slopes. That leaves the eastern half of Green Mountain State to deal with swirling leaves or snow, and in the worst cases, fallen tree limbs and power lines. 

The wind will continue on and off through the rest of the month at least, as it usually does. 

Expect to see gusts go over 30 mph in at least parts of Vermont for the rest of today, and again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hang on to your hat, I guess.