# Weather impact of wind turbines **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 8, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857 "2016-06-08T19:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/1 "2016-06-08T19:41:17Z")
In the nuclear bomb vs. hurricane thread, Chronos [mentioned](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19385613&postcount=51)using the power from a hurricane before it forms, but worries about the potential environmental impact. Which reminded me of question I have when I see large turbine farms - those turbines are harvesting energy from wind, so presumably the is blowing less strongly on the far side of the farm? What is the affect of that? Small for any individual wind farm, but could we build enough in an area to change weather patterns? ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/2 "2016-06-08T19:54:08Z")
They have the same effect as a forest or a series of power lines. Building a city will affect the weather. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/3 "2016-06-08T20:03:29Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > In the nuclear bomb vs. hurricane thread, Chronos [mentioned](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19385613&postcount=51)using the power from a hurricane before it forms, but worries about the potential environmental impact. > > Which reminded me of question I have when I see large turbine farms - those turbines are harvesting energy from wind, so presumably the is blowing less strongly on the far side of the farm? Yes. It’s conservation of energy. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/4 "2016-06-08T20:33:18Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Yes. It’s conservation of energy. I understand that - but is there any study about the actual impact? Change in rain patterns, more/less tornadoes/hotter/colder/??? Any individual turbine is going to be a gnat in a hurricane - how many kilowatts (joules?) can we extract from the atmosphere before we have a noticeable effect? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/5 "2016-06-08T21:00:05Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I understand that - but is there any study about the actual impact? Change in rain patterns, more/less tornadoes/hotter/colder/??? Also, compare this to the effect on the weather of the fossil fuel generating plant that could have been built instead. I’d suspect that the windmill has less effect. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-impact-of-wind-turbines/756857/6 "2016-06-09T00:19:48Z")
From _SciAm_ [“How Wind Turbines Affect Your (Very) Local Weather”](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-wind-turbines-affect-temperature/): > [@](#): > > The giant wind turbines cropping up on ridges, shorelines and other windy locales across the world affect more than the wind—they are also changing local temperatures, notes a new study. That’s likely because the enormous blades chop up the incoming wind and thereby more thoroughly mix different layers of the atmosphere. I’m kinda thinking of this wind field over the wind farm is six miles tall, what few Joules are being removed in the lowest 500 feet are not going to make any difference … except in the wash just downstream of the blades … just a little more turbulence in and already turbulent environment. I would think that occasionally this little extra turbulence will initiate a thunderstorm where no thunderstorm would have formed; but equally this turbulence may disrupt a thunderstorm where one should have formed.