LINVILLE, N.C. — It was just another 'Windsday' at Grandfather Mountain, where a new wind speed record was set.
Around 4 a.m. Wednesday, the park’s weather recording station at the Mile High Swinging Bridge registered a three-second gust of 121.3 miles per hour.
The mountain’s previous wind record was 120.7 mph, recorded Dec. 21, 2012.
Sustained wind speeds reached 86.3 mph around the 4 a.m. window. Gusts continued to exceed 100 mph.
“We were really surprised by the high winds overnight,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park. “We exceeded our all-time record, and, fortunately, sustained no damage to the park.”
Mt. Mitchell recorded a gust of 77.6 mph during the same timeframe, according to data from the state climate office.
Temperatures are usually 10 to 20 degrees cooler at Grandfather Mountain than the flatlands.
Photos from November
PHOTOS | A Very Cold and Snowy Grandfather Mountain
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