Pittsburgh has observed a peculiar weather trend: while average wind speeds have decreased since the mid-20th century, the intensity of wind gusts has risen. Data indicates that the highest sustained wind speeds were recorded between the 1950s and 1970s, but recent years, particularly 2022 and 2026, have seen some of the strongest wind gusts on record. These intense gusts are often caused by strong pressure gradients, where atmospheric pressure changes rapidly over short distances, generating powerful, localized winds.