Why does nobody talk about how much wind Actually affects a lift?

I was setting a big AC unit on a roof last Tuesday in Denver and the wind was only like 15 mph steady. But when I got that load up around 80 feet it started swinging way more than I expected. Went home and looked up some crane wind charts and learned that a 15 mph wind at ground level can be 25+ mph at boom tip height. Crazy how much difference the altitude makes especially out here. Has anyone else gotten caught off guard by wind at height?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_gonzalez5d ago

Saw a scissor lift flip in Lubbock once. Wind wasn't even gusting.

joseph_baker4d ago

I was on a job site in Odessa back in '21 and watched a 30-foot scissor lift go over in what felt like a light breeze. The operator hopped out just before it tipped but one of the guys on the ground took a hydraulic line to the leg. Everyone blamed the setup crew for not using the outriggers properly.