Estimates of Extreme Winds from Short Records

Abstract

Methods are examined for the estimation of extreme wind speeds from short records. They involve monthly winds (proposed method) and yearly winds (conventional method) and assume that these wind series are stationary, independent, and extreme type I distributed. The analysis of numerous simulated and actual wind data shows that the proposed method is superior when the available wind record is limited to about 3 yr of observations. The method generally provides reliable estimates for 50‐yr wind speeds. Developments in the paper also include confidence limits on extreme wind speeds. The limits are determined at over forty wind stations in the U.S.