wind · Chile
Punta Arenas, Magallanes
Annual mean wind speed
Modelled demonstration series · not observed data
Annual mean wind speed is a slow, boring statistic, which is what makes a trend in it interesting. The southern hemisphere westerly belt has been strengthening and shifting poleward, and stations at this latitude are where that shows up first. This tile is a jet stream changing address.
75 years, modelled
Same reading, two normals
| Normal | Mean | σ | Pct | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–1980 | 27.5 km/h | +2.00σ | 98th | 1 in 44 years |
| 1991–2020 | 29.4 km/h | +1.10σ | 87th | 1 in 7.4 years |
Today would rank 7 of 76 for highest value in the modelled series. Nothing about the reading changes between rows — only the yardstick.
The season here
The Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties pass over Patagonia unobstructed — there is no land upwind for thousands of kilometres.
Where this series comes from
MODELLED SERIES — not observed. Parameters set from published Punta Arenas annual mean-wind climatology and the documented poleward intensification of the southern westerlies. The 75 annual values are synthesised by the seeded generator.
Every number on this page comes from a modelled series: 75 annual values synthesised by a seeded generator from published climatological parameters for Punta Arenas, Magallanes. It shows how anomaly reasoning works. It is not a measurement and must not be cited as one.
How to read σ
σ counts standard deviations from this place's own normal. The sigma guide · return periods.
More wind stations
Open Punta Arenas on the field →