Fort Worth sees 64 mph wind gusts; Sundance Square’s 80-foot Christmas tree blows over
January 9,2024
See full article by Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Brayden Garcia here.
High wind gusts were recorded across North Texas overnight Monday into Tuesday, including over 60 mph in Fort Worth.
The highest wind gusts recorded at Fort Worth’s Meacham International Airport topped out at 64 mph, said Patricia Sanchez, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
On Monday night, the wind was strong enough to knock over the 80-foot Norway Spruce Christmas tree in Sundance Square, which was scheduled to be taken down on Wednesday. There were no reports of injuries.
Perot Field Alliance Airport in northern Fort Worth saw gusts as high as 61 mph, Sanchez said. Elsewhere in the Metroplex, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field both recorded gusts at 54 mph.
As far as damage from the strong winds, only power outages and scattered tree limbs have been reported to the NWS, Sanchez said.
“Looks like nothing too widespread or crazy,” Sanchez said.
A wind advisory is still in effect for most of North Texas until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Sanchez said the highest winds are behind the Metroplex, as speeds will slow down throughout the day.
While the winds across North Texas were strong, they weren’t quite classifiable as hurricane-level.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to determine hurricane wind speeds, with 74 mph being the minimum requirement for category 1. The categories go up to five, each with increased wind speed.
A category 5 hurricane is classified as having wind speeds over 156 mph.
Location Mentioned: Sundance Square Plaza