While no one can predict the weather with total accuracy, for the most part we tune in to our weather reports and apps with a fair amount of trust. We know that while rain falls on our vacation, we’ll likely get advance warning if there’s going to be something extreme on the horizon. And yet—wind and rain and temperature continue to wreak unpredictable havoc throughout the U.S., according to Tideschart.com, which has created a ranked list of cities with the wildest weather.
Fifty major U.S. cities were given scores based on rainfall and daily wind speed variation. Additionally, their temperature swings were logged for veering wildly up or down. After all the data was crunched, Oklahoma City was identified as the city with the most unpredictable weather in the country. There, rainfall varies dramatically (and averages to half an inch a day), and winds can deviate by 4 miles an hour. Sudden weather shifts can bring thunderstorms—you'll want to wear layers to best adjust with the weather.
The next wildest city? Omaha, Nebraska—not typically a city we associate with wildness, but weather is another thing altogether. In Omaha, temperature swings were more extreme than any other major city looked at in the study. Additionally, wind speed on the prairie can deviate over 4 mph on an average day. Whew! Gusty.
The third most unpredictable city weather-wise is Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Prince could barely decide whether to keep on his raspberry beret with drastic temperature changes.
Other takeaways? Tampa, Florida, has the most unpredictable rainfall patterns of any city, while Miami is a bastion of consistency, with the most reliable temperatures, with a daily change of less than 7 degrees year-round. Throw away your thermometer if you live there!
The top 10 U.S. cities with the wildest weather:
1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2. Omaha, Nebraska
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Kansas City, Missouri
5. Louisville, Kentucky
6. Tulsa, Oklahoma
7. Indianapolis, Indiana
8. Chicago, Illinois
9. Arlington, Texas
10. Fort Worth, Texas