Omaha is getting windier, and the people who work outdoors are feeling it most.
Pilot Dave Zajac, based at Millard Airport, said the wind is noticeable but manageable in the air.
"You'll feel it kick the plane off and weathervane into the wind a little bit, but once you get above the ground quite a bit, it doesn't really bother you," Zajac said.
Landing, however, is a different story.
"Landing is fun. Landing in these conditions can be quite an experience," Zajac said.
For those working closer to the ground, or in the trees, the added wind is more than just an inconvenience. Jeff Grewe owns Arbor Aesthetics and sends workers into trees every day.
"Trimming a tree like this or being in a tree like this where it's constantly moving, and you're operating a chainsaw, it's inherently dangerous, and it's more difficult to do a job where precision really matters, where you are moving, and the tree is moving with you," Grewe said.
When shown data confirming Omaha's winds have increased, Grewe had a simple reaction.
"That's surprising," Grewe said.
The numbers back it up. Since 1980, the average wind gust recorded at Eppley Airfield has risen around 7 mph from 19 mph to 25.9 mph.
Perhaps the starker stat is the number of windy days (defined as having a wind gust over 35 mph at Eppley Airfield) in Omaha. Data before 2000 is unreliable, but since 2000, there has been a marked increase in the number of windy days a year. In 2000, Omaha saw around 31 windy days. In 2025, that number had more than doubled to 70 days.
Some of this could be explained by better instrumentation, but studies have shown that worldwide, the average wind speed has increased since 2010.
Not everyone is bothered by the shift. Kite enthusiasts and wind energy companies have found reasons to welcome the change. But for most people, the windier days just mean more bad hair days.
