Boston is always in the conversation when it comes to the windiest cities in America — blame it on its proximity to the ocean and steep temperature differences across all four seasons. Wind is a constant here. But if you’ve noticed the wind is more intense this year, you’re spot on. Each of the past five months, and the first half of June, has seen above-average wind speeds and gusts across the city. All told, it’s the gustiest year on record by a long shot, with winds nearly 10 miles per hour above the historical average, dating to when Logan Airport began recording wind data in 1936. So far this year, wind gusts are averaging nearly 32.64 miles per hour, more than two miles per hour stronger than the previous record in 2010. If you’re wondering the difference between wind speed and wind gust, here’s a quick breakdown. Wind speed is determined by the average flow during a minimum two-minute stretch, while gusts are recorded as sudden, instantaneous increases in wind that can last anywhere between a few seconds and 30 seconds. Wind gusts are a bit more accurate, and certainly more noticeable, in capturing what the wind is like on a given day. Of Boston’s seven gustiest years between Jan. 1 and June 15, all came in the past 16 years, evidence of a warming atmosphere that has made our weather patterns a bit more extreme. As far as sustained wind speeds in Boston, this year has been above the 30-year average but below the overall average of the 89-year data set available at Logan. This year’s wind speed has averaged 12.28 miles per hour, the highest since 2000.
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