Another drive across the Great Plains, another battle with punishing winds. As we drove west toward Colorado today, strong, southwest winds raked the Plains, demanding a steady grip on the steering wheel and slowing our progress. The culprits were low pressure over Southern Colorado and high pressure over the Southern Plains, which funneled these winds across Kansas.
I often admire and sometimes pity those who live in that windswept landscape. While the remote homes are frequently sheltered with junipers and pines, the whistles and rattles must be nearly constant. And then, of course, the strong winds make any form of weather more severe, from the desiccating heat of summer to the life-threatening wind chill and ground blizzards of winter.
Then again, these winds are partly responsible for the development of the vast prairie ecosystem that once covered the Great Plains. By drying the soil, dislodging seedlings and fanning wildfires, the relentless winds kept the forest at bay; combined with the trampling and grazing of massive bison herds, the prairie winds favored the evolution of a rich biome of grasses and wildflowers, home to a wide diversity of animals. Finally, while crop fields and ranches have replaced most of the prairie, the winds now drive modern turbines, providing a clean and endless source of energy.
