200 MPH winds

[treant985]

Only a few places in the world have purported to have had 200+ mph winds, although several of those have been discredited for various reasons.

If you know of any such reports, can you post them, along with a note of any caveats associated with them?

Here are the ones I know of:

236 mph: Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, 12/16/1997 (considered unreliable)
231 mph: Mt. Washington, NH, USA, 4/12/1934
207 mph: Thule Air Force Base, Greenland, 3/8/1972
201 mph: Longs Peak, CO, USA, 1981 (can't find a specific date)
200 mph: Cannon Mountain, NH, USA, 4/2/1973
200 mph: Grandfather Mtn, NC, USA, 1/25/2006 (considered unreliable)

Anyone know of any others, whether they be pretenders or contenders?

[JimS]

On a technicality, the wind never hit 200mph on Cannon. It only hit 199.5, and when the threshold is to exceed 200mph, Cannon did not...

http://mountwashington.org/education..._Windstorm.pdf

[accuweather]

Only a few places in the world have purported to have had 200+ mph winds, although several of those have been discredited for various reasons.

If you know of any such reports, can you post them, along with a note of any caveats associated with them?

Anyone know of any others, whether they be pretenders or contenders?

I just researched this list, and wrote a blog entry about them, going in-depth with the Australia entry:

318 MPH - Oklahoma City 1999 - Tornado, Above Ground, By Doppler Radar (NOT OFFICIAL)
253 MPH - Australia 1996 - Cyclone Olivia, On Ground, By Cup Anemometer (UNVERIFIED)
236 MPH - Guam 1997 - Typhoon Paka, By Hot-Wire Anemometer (DISPUTED)
231 MPH - Winter Storm 1934 at Mount Washington, By Cup Anemometer (OFFICIAL WORLD RECORD)
207 MPH - Winter Storm 1972 in Greenland (VERIFIED)
201 MPH - Winter Storm 1981 in Colorado (NOT VERIFIED)
200 MPH* - Winter Storm in North Carolina (DISPUTED)
200 MPH* - Winter Storm 1973 in New Hampshire, By Cup Anemometer (VERIFIED)
190 MPH - Tropical Storm 1966 in Miyakojima (NOT VERIFIED)
186 MPH - Massachusetts 1938 - Hurricane, On Ground (OFFICIAL WORLD LAND HURRICANE RECORD)

*Rounded up from 199.5 mph

[Bill O]

Amazing. The same crew that "verified" MWO's wind record just happened to record a 186mph gust on a small hill outside Boston.

On another note, interesting blog post, thanks for sharing. I forgot about that Gustav gust, please follow up if it is ever verified.

[smithtim]

. I forgot about that Gustav gust, please follow up if it is ever verified.

Exactly what I was thinking between the last few major huricanes we had down here with sustained winds winds well over 150mph in the Gulf it is quite possible that their was "gust" well above 200mph.

Here is what I found just clicking through a few years; to my undersanding this data is verified through NHC extrapolation of dropstones + buoys for sustained winds, but I don't know where or if they even actually keep data on wind gusts

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2005.asp

Wilma sustained 185 mph... You can see other years data to chaning the 2005 to desired year; example 2008 for Gustav

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at2008.asp

or cahnge at to ep for Pacific storms, but I couldn't find anything on wester Pacific ( i.e. Japan typhoons)

[Turd Ferguson]

I am holding in my hand a NWS pamphlet for Southeast Alaska Weather and it says, "Juneau Fact: Although unofficial, wind speeds reached 223 mph at the south end of Salisbury Ridge, just south of downtown Juneau on January 8, 1975.

I can say that during Taku wind events and even fall time wind/rain storms I have seen an anemometer sustained over 100 mph with higher gusts for hours on end plenty of times. I would guess that the 223 mph was or still is possible but keeping a calibrated anemometer for high winds speeds calibrated and up there is a whole different story.

Maybe I'll go up to the local NWS office and ask more about why it was deemed unofficial.