How can I use average and gusting speeds to graphically display the normal distribution?
After collecting wind and gusting speeds, you can use spreadsheet software to graph a normal distribution curve. Example: The wind speed is 10 MPH, Gusting to 13 MPH. Set up the spreadsheet cells as shown in Figure 2. Use the NORMDIST function to calculate the probability at each wind speed. The resulting spreadsheet and graph should look similar to this one. The NORMDIST function (fx) is shown on the very top line of fig 2. The average wind speed is entered in cell A3; the gusting speed is located in B3. The standard deviation is calculated by subtracting the average from the Gusts and entered as standard deviation (+1SD) in cell C3. The NORMDIST function is than replicated in cells D3 through P3, depending on how many wind speed data points to be computed for. Pay particular attention to the location of the $ character in function. $ locks either the row or the column as the function is replicated over the cells. The graph of the various wind speeds is accomplished by selecting the d
