What effect(s) does wind have on temperatures?

[joossa]

Hello everyone.

Temperatures are beginning to get colder where I live (mid 40's at night). With the decrease in temp. and daylight hours, my CP's are starting to show signs of dormancy.

I was jsut wondering, how does the wind effect the temp. and how can it effect my plants? Do I have to take note of high winds when overnight temps get low during winter??

I live in a high desert region, and my city occasionally gets high winds and near freezing temps in the winter.

 

[Drosera36]

Winds can make the temps feel MUCH colder, and can give your plants a sort of "freezer burn". So, you will want to protect them from the wind.

-Ben

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Make sure they are hydrated, dry winter winds can cause dessication, leading to death of the plant. Water well before placing in dormancy.

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

Joosa, when it gets into the forties here, I put my plants outside to enjoy the nice weather and sunshine. The wind will tend to dry out your plants faster so make sure they are well watered if they have to be in the wind. I bring them back in when it starts dropping to 38°f or lower.

Nep G you beat me to it

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Thermodynamically, wind is a mass movement of air molecules, temperature is the speed at which the air molecules are vibrating and bouncing against each other and their surroundings. If a mass of air is moving or still, the actual temperature (vibration of the molecules), is affected very little. If, however, the mass of air molecules is relatively dry and blown into/against a moist surface, those molecules that contact the moist surface will pick up water molecules, when they do, their vibration will be slowed because they use energy to pick up the water molecules (they will become colder) and when other air molecules contact them, they too will be slowed somewhat. Many other factors are involved as well, such as the moving air mass may contact other air masses that are vibrating faster or slower than they are, there will be some transfer of vibrational energy (heat), depending on the temperature differences between the various air masses, area and time of contact, etc. etc. etc.
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Slabs of concrete, rock or concrete block walls, walls of buildings, especially heated buildings, provide fair protection in areas where it doesn't go below freezing for more than a few hours on the coldest nights. I live in just such an area. Prolonged or strong, cold and dry, desert winds can rapidly dry and dessicate plants, so take care to ensure they have enough moisture in their media or trays to overcome this effect. Air movement, wind, if the moving air is not at freezing temps or below, it will not cause objects such as plants or pots to become colder than it is (it will not freeze them), but it will tend to dry them out very quickly.