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Whooping Cranes Take Off With Strong South Winds March 24, 2002 Biologist Tom Stehn enjoyed great wind-surfing weather on the Texas Gulf Coast on March 24th, and the first whooping crane pair probably took off on those same winds. Says Tom, "These pairs probably headed north on March 24th when it was incredibly windy on the Texas coast. That would have provided strong 25 mph tailwinds to aid the birds as they crossed Texas. With winds like that, the cranes could have flown 60 mph and crossed almost all of Texas, flying 400+ miles all in one day." What made those winds blow, and in the right direction for migration? Let's look at the weather leading up to take-off on March 24th: March 21 A strong High pressure cell, positioned above Montana, begins to move across the country toward the southest. A cold front moves ahead of the High, and winds are blowing from the north in Texas. Surface Winds March 22 North winds continue on the Texas Gulf Coast with the High pressure now over Oklahoma. Surface Winds March 23 As the High pressure moves to the east of Texas on March 23, the winds shift to the south. Surface Winds March 24 The south winds increased in strength as the Low pressure cell approached from the west on the 24th--and the cranes probably rode these strong winds northward. Surface Winds As high pressure moves away, and low pressure approaches, the barometer falls. At the same time, the winds typically shift to the south. Do you think whooping cranes can detect falling barometric pressure and know south winds are about to blow? Spring migration can be risky, because the strong south winds that are associated with low pressure cells are often just ahead of storms. Notice that the although the cranes could have flown quickly northward on the 24th they were headed for the low pressure cell positioned over Oklahoma. March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form