Dear Tom,
We all know that wind can blow things around and knock things over, but what is the relationship between wind speed and force per square foot?
Vince
Dear Vince,
The force exerted by wind is surprisingly large, and that force increases dramatically as wind speeds increase. Calculation of the force is a complex matter, and Texas A&M University has done considerable research in the field. Here are some examples of forces exerted by winds blowing perpendicular to a flat surface (courtesy of Texas A&M): 5 m.p.h. exerts a force of 0.1 pound per square foot (psf); 10 m.p.h., 0.4 psf; 15 m.p.h., 0.9 psf; 30 m.p.h., 3.6 psf (and on a plate glass window 4 feet by 4 feet, that is 58 pounds of pressure); 50 m.p.h., 10 psf, or 160 pounds on that window.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
