Wind speed and Direction
In answer to some questions about wind speeds and directions that close chairs, here's what I can tell you: Of all the chairs, High Campbell is the most susceptible to wind. The chairs themselves are light weight and when the wind whips across the top of the ridge it can cause the chair to close. In fact, there is an anomometer on one of the top towers that turns the chair off automatically when wind speeds reach a certain speed (usually somewhere between 30 - 40 mph). Southwest wind is the worst for High Campbell. Rex is also susceptible to Southwest wind. When the wind blows across the upper towers, it too can get shut down. The wind speeds, however, can be misleading. We can withstand strong winds in certain directions. West or East wind that comes up or down the chairlines is okay. It is when the winds blows across the line that the chair needs to be closed. So, to answer the question regarding wind, most often anything 30 mph or above out of the Southwest can cause problems. East winds are usually okay even up to 50 mph. West and northwest winds up to 40 or 50 mph can also be okay. It just depends on how it blows across the line. We have certain criteria that need to be met in order to run chairs in windy conditions. Our lift mechanics are very careful in their decisions to run or close the chairs. Hope that helps.
