Mount Washington in New Hampshire sees 161-mph wind gust, still short of record high
High winds buffeted the Atlantic Coast on Monday from Florida to Maine, but the gusts into the 60s may have seemed like a gentle breeze compared with the howling winds at Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire.
Mount Washington, known for its harsh and erratic weather, saw its wind gusts top out at 161 mph on Monday, the observatory reported. Wind speeds are relative, however: The mountain still holds the record for the highest surface wind speed ever measured in the United States: 231 mph.
Still referred to as the Big Wind, that record was set on April 12, 1934.
The 161-mph gust only barely made it into a tie for the 19th-highest daily gust on Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.
Monday's gust was the highest daily peak gust in almost six years, since the observatory measured a 171-mph gust on Feb. 25, 2019, reported the observatory, a private nonprofit research institution.
To reach the mountain's top 10 highest daily gusts, wind speeds would have to climb to at least 170 mph. That may be possible before this latest wind event is over, the observatory noted in an X post Monday.
Wind warnings and high wind warnings remained in place for parts of New England through Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Just over two years ago, on Feb. 4, 2023, the observatory measured what was likely the lowest wind chill ever recorded in the United States: minus 108 degrees Fahrenheit.