Mount Washington, known for its extreme weather conditions, registered an astonishing wind gust of 171 miles per hour on 4th of February at midnight. This occurrence, marked in the halls of meteorological history, is one of the strongest winds ever recorded at the weather station located in New Hampshire.
Erik Pindrock, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, noted that this type of wind speed is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. “These are winds that you typically would not see, even in the most severe type of weather events,” he said. The AccuWeather network reported that the infrastructure at the weather station was designed to handle such extreme conditions, helping it to stay intact despite the incredible gusts.(source)
Mount Washington Observatory is famous for also holding the world record for the fastest wind speed ever recorded by man at 231 miles per hour in 1934. This record was surpassed only in 1996 when an automated weather station in Barrow Island, Australia clocked a wind speed of 253 miles per hour during Cyclone Olivia.(source)
While the winds at Mount Washington are formidable, they are not unprecedented. The National Weather Service, in their report, puts these gusts into perspective stating that they’ve tracked winds well over 100 miles per hour numerous times at the station in the past.(source) Yet, the gust of 171 mph certainly makes it one of the strongest winds ever recorded at the station.
Despite the extreme weather conditions, the staff at Mount Washington Observatory remains dedicated to their task. They continue to work, provide crucial data, and ensure the public is informed about the intensity of these weather events, highlighting human resilience in the face of nature’s power.
Last modified: February 18, 2025
