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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 500 |
Of course part of the deal is that many people over-estimate wind speeds. Many will estimate 10 mph as 15+, and 25 mph as 30-40.
I bought a wind meter for that very reason. I also think that most people are guilty, myself included, of taking the gusts as the mean. Even though the wind was blowing at maybe a steady 15mph today I saw it as the 30mph gusts that annoy me so much more.
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,129 |
There are very few sources of reliable wind speed and direction available for most US cities and towns. Communities as small as Choteau and Townsend only have limited *met* data available on a long term basis. Even then the only reliable met data usually available for those smaller cities and towns is for temperature and precipitation. The best source of historical climatological data for the western USA is at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Nevada - Reno. Here's the link the Western Regional Climate Center at DRI: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/ Below is a cut & paste of the monthly & annual wind speed averages based on the most recent decadal records for selected locations in Montana. These locations are where NOAA-NWS has maintained fully instrumented sites; Great Falls is the closest site to Choteau, and Helena is the closest site to Townsend. MONTANA AVERAGE WIND SPEED - MPH STATION | ID | Years | Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec | Ann BAKER AIRPORT ASOS |KBHK|1998-2006| 10.4 10.5 12.2 12.5 12.7 11.7 10.7 10.8 10.0 10.3 10.5 10.7 | 11.1 BILLINGS-LOGAN AP ASOS |KBIL|1996-2006| 12.8 12.2 11.0 10.5 10.4 10.0 9.3 9.2 9.6 10.3 12.0 13.0 | 10.9 BOZEMAN AIRPORT ASOS |KBZN|1996-2006| 4.6 5.3 6.4 7.2 7.0 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.1 5.7 4.9 4.8 | 5.9 BUTTE AIRPORT ASOS |KBTM|1996-2006| 4.7 5.0 6.8 7.3 7.7 7.3 6.9 6.6 6.2 6.2 5.2 4.9 | 6.2 CUT BANK AIRPORT ASOS |KCTB|1996-2006| 14.6 12.8 13.3 12.8 13.4 12.3 11.2 10.2 11.4 13.0 13.6 14.6 | 12.8 DILLON AIRPORT ASOS |KDLN|1997-2006| 10.2 9.7 10.3 10.0 9.6 8.4 8.0 8.0 8.7 9.0 9.3 9.2 | 9.2 GLASGOW AIRPORT ASOS |KGGW|1996-2006| 9.3 9.3 11.7 12.4 12.6 11.4 10.7 11.0 10.5 10.3 9.3 9.4 | 10.6 GLENDIVE AIRPORT AWOS |KGDV|1996-2006| 9.5 9.7 10.5 11.3 11.6 10.4 9.4 9.6 9.6 10.1 9.7 10.2 | 10.1 GREAT FALLS AP ASOS |KGTF|1996-2006| 13.3 12.3 11.8 11.2 11.3 10.2 9.6 9.2 10.4 11.9 13.2 13.8 | 11.5GREAT FALLS-MALSTROM AF |KGFA|1996-2006| 12.3 9.9 11.9 10.7 10.3 9.7 9.1 8.8 9.9 10.4 13.2 13.2 | 10.9 HAVRE AIRPORT ASOS |KHVR|1996-2006| 9.9 9.6 10.7 11.0 11.6 10.6 9.8 9.5 9.8 9.8 10.6 11.0 | 10.3 HELENA AIRPORT ASOS |KHLN|1996-2006| 5.8 6.3 7.8 8.3 8.4 8.2 7.4 6.6 6.7 6.6 5.8 6.0 | 7.0JORDAN AIRPORT ASOS |KJDN|1996-2006| 7.3 7.9 9.3 10.0 10.5 9.7 8.4 8.4 8.2 8.2 7.9 8.1 | 8.6 KALISPELL AIRPORT ASOS |KGPI|1996-2006| 4.1 3.8 6.0 6.7 6.6 5.7 5.2 5.0 4.6 4.2 4.0 3.2 | 4.9 LEWISTOWN AIRPORT ASOS |KLWT|1996-2006| 10.6 9.5 10.2 9.8 9.9 9.0 7.9 8.0 8.5 9.2 10.2 10.7 | 9.5 LIVINGSTON AIRPORT ASOS |KLVM|1996-2006| 19.8 17.4 16.2 14.0 13.1 11.9 11.0 11.2 12.7 14.6 18.4 20.4 | 15.2 MILES CITY AP ASOS |KMLS|1996-2006| 8.8 9.4 10.6 11.2 11.3 10.5 9.9 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.3 9.3 | 9.9 MISSOULA AIRPORT ASOS |KMSO|1996-2006| 3.2 3.7 5.4 6.1 6.0 6.1 5.7 5.2 4.3 3.9 3.5 3.7 | 4.7 SIDNEY AIRPORT AWOS |KSDY|1996-2006| 8.9 9.0 9.5 10.2 10.4 9.0 7.7 7.9 8.2 8.8 8.7 9.4 | 9.0 WOLF POINT AIRPORT ASOS |KOLF|1998-2006| 7.1 7.6 9.4 10.3 10.4 8.9 8.2 8.3 7.6 7.7 7.3 7.6 | 8.3
Pursuit may be, it seems to me, perfect without possession.
Robert Kelley Weeks (1840-1876)
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 64
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 64 |
The hi-line is basically the plains of NE Montana, above the Missouri River to Canada and E of Great Falls. Generally it follows the highway from Havre, to Malta, to Glasgow to Wolf Point and on to the North Dakota Border. I might also add that the High-Line is the coldest, windiest place this side of the Arctic Circle  . Have you been to Lethbridge??
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 15,681 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 15,681 Likes: 1 |
JB, with winds like that, you guys must walk with a bit of a list up there!
NRA Life,Endowment,Patron or Benefactor since '72.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9 |
Let's just say that the grass and trees always tend to bend in one direction....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 500 |
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120313/NEWS01/120313009/Blowing-smoke-dirt-cause-multiple-car-accidents-north-Great-Falls?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|Frontpage
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 22,736
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 22,736 |
I assume you guys are getting permission to shoot pd's on the Hi-line? It must be a patchwork of private properties, right?
My home is the "sanctuary residence" for my firearms.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48,411
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48,411 |
that can't be right...the Montana boys have been telling us for years that it blows 50 all winter and 40 in the summer. 
Proudly representing oil companies, defense contractors, and firearms manufacturers since 1980. Because merchants of death need lawyers, too.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
Steve...as we put it here...when the wind stops blowing on the Hi-line or the Rocky mountain Front...all the cows fall down!
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9 |
We have some friends who ranch on the Front west of Conrad. A couple years ago the wind blew so hard that a 1500-pound round haybale started moving across a pretty level field, and got going so fast it went across a county road--which involved going through two 3-strand barbed-wire fences, plus two 4-foor-deep ditches on either side of the road--and ended up 100 yards or so in the field across the road.
Have been up in the mountains on the front and seen small rocks rolling along....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 22,917 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 22,917 Likes: 2 |
You guys act like yer the only ones with wind....The only thing between you and me to break it, is a barb-wire fence and a tree up on the North Platte.......
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
Well, I've met you, and you're skinny enough to get out of the wind behind the barbed wire....  Me...I'm not so lucky.... 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9 |
Naw, we're not the only ones with wind--but the Front is one of of the few places to regularly clock 70-100 mph on the flats. This is because the wind gets a downhill run on the east side of the mountains....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48,411
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48,411 |
You guys act like yer the only ones with wind....The only thing between you and me to break it, is a barb-wire fence and a tree up on the North Platte....... and not much between you and the Texas panhandle but a few more fences. of course, the wind has warmed up a little by the time it gets down there.
Proudly representing oil companies, defense contractors, and firearms manufacturers since 1980. Because merchants of death need lawyers, too.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9 |
Does that involve the notorious "expansion ratio"?
I've visited Texas a lot over the years, and yeah, it always does seem bigger....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,090 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,090 Likes: 1 |
Have been up in the mountains on the front and seen small rocks rolling along.... Which begs the question, light and fast, or heavy and slow? Limiting shots to 500 and under of course...
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,090 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,090 Likes: 1 |
Well, I've met you, and you're skinny enough to get out of the wind behind the barbed wire.... Me...I'm not so lucky.... Speaking of hay bales... I, on the other hand, prefer stacks...
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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OP
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
Big, Round bales....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,134 Likes: 9 |
Whttail,
Almost 30 years ago I was shooting rockchucks with an older friend on a ranch along the Front. The first chuck we saw was around 200 yards away, with a "small" wind blowing down the canyon. I aimed at the chuck's nose with my .220 Swift, and the bullet took the of it's skull off. My friend was kind of impressed...
...until we hiked further up the canyon and saw another chuck sitting on top of a rock outcropping around 400 yards away. At that range the Swift's bullet should have landed about 18" low, so I aimed that high--and nothing happened, not even a flinch from the chuck.
I fired nine shots at that chuck before eventually figuring out that the wind was blowing off the side of the hill below him--and pushing the bullet HIGHER. I eventually killed the chuck by aiming about a foot underneath it.
Of course, that was long before we had computer ballistic programs and started twisting turrets, but I doubt like hell that either would have helped a lot in that instance.
On the other hand, have shot "groundhogs" across rolling hayfields in the East, and found the winds more subtle but even more bewildering, both because the air is thicker (making a 5-mph breeze move a bullet about as much as a 10-mph wind on the Front), and because the rolling country pushes bullets in weird directions.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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