FARGO — The average wind speed as measured at by the automatic wind sensor at Hector International Airport for the month of January was 9.8 mph. According to Meteorologist Vince Godon of the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, this is the lowest average wind speed for any January of the past 25 years. The lack of wind during January was caused by the same deep temperature inversion that helped make so many foggy days during the month.
This temperature inversion is a layer of air near the snow-covered ground that is colder than the air just above. Temperature inversions are common, especially when there is snow on the ground, but the overall weather pattern this January allowed the inversion to be stronger and deeper. There were many days with much stronger wind, and also warmer temperatures, hundreds of feet above us. We missed out on a lot of warm temperatures aloft, but we also had much less wind chill.
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