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According to a new study out of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, straight-line winds are getting stronger and more destructive as our climate warms.
BOULDER, Colo. — We here in Colorado know all too well just how destructive powerful winds can be.
According to a new study on how our weather is changing, the straight-line winds we feel when a thunderstorm rumbles through are becoming more widespread and much more destructive.
A straight-line wind is caused by a powerful downdraft — a column of air pushing downward — that flows from the base of a thunderstorm outward. It’s called straight-line because, unlike a tornado, it has no rotation.
The winds can completely tear off roofs and uproot massive trees. The insurance industry estimates straight-line winds cause about $2.5 billion in damage every year in the United States. And according to a new study out of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, those winds are getting stronger and becoming more extreme across the country and here in Colorado.
“We have quite high confidence that extreme thunderstorm winds will increase in intensity and frequency in the future,” said Andreas Prein, a climate scientist at NCAR.
Using a very high-resolution model, he found the area affected by straight-line winds has increased nearly five times in the last 40 years.
“It’s terrifying if you’re in the middle of that,” he said.
Prein said a warming climate is to blame.
“As the temperature increases, you can store more moisture in the atmosphere, and this additional moisture increases the strength of air that falls out of the storm and onto the ground,” he said.
Since straight-line winds can top 100 mph, knowing they can get even stronger in the future is key.
“Colorado also has a big exposure to these kind of wind extremes,” Prein said. “And we see a clear trend toward getting more extreme winds.”
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