Welcome to March in beautiful Johnsburg. This is the month when winter will officially end, though there’s no guarantee winter-like weather will pass on schedule with it. But, regardless, we’ve now put the first months of winter in the rearview mirror and warmer weather is sure to follow, eventually. 

March is known as the windiest month of the year. Is that true? Has March earned the reputation for gusting winds and all that comes with them?

Meteorologically speaking, yes, March is generally the windiest month of the year. This is explained in that March is a transitional month. Warmer weather is approaching. The mix of cold and warm air can sometimes prove volatile.

The average March wind speed in Illinois is actually 9.1 mph (April actually comes in a touch higher with average wind speeds of 9.2 mph). If that’s the average wind speed, it’s safe to say that we’ll see gusts of wind considerably higher. It’s not surprising to have wind gusts of 45 mph and higher. 

When the winds start blowing across Johnsburg, it’s not uncommon to see that native of the asphalt plains, the runaway shopping cart. A shopping cart in front of Walmart, where it has space to pick up some speed, can go tearing across the parking lot with the potential to injure vehicles or humans. 

We can all help rein in these crazy shopping baskets on wheels by placing them safely in the intended enclosures after we’ve emptied their contents into our vehicles. You don’t necessarily have to bring them back inside. But it is important to nest them with other carts in the cart corrals. 

If you do see a shopping cart making a breakaway, it’s probably a very bad idea to try to wrestle that bronco by hand. And you probably don’t want to use your vehicle to round up strays, either. A shopping cart can gore a car and cause considerable damage.

Another problem for car owners in March is the effect of the wind on car doors. A gust of wind can yank a car door right out of your hands if you’re not prepared. If there’s a car next to you, your door can do substantial damage to that vehicle while likewise damaging your car door.

Even if you’re not next to another vehicle, if there’s a concrete-filled post (technically called a bollard) next to your car, while you may only scratch the paint on the bollard, you can, once again, do considerable damage to your car door.

Before you open your door, consider how windy it is that day. You may have a steady wind blowing across Johnsburg, or you may have powerful gusts that blow intermittently. Then, when you open your door, hold on tight.