Atlantic Coastal Areas Wind Index Atmospheric circulation Wind power on Atlantic coast Wind power on Chesapeake and Delaware Bays Atmospheric circulation – seasonal pattern Wind power at Atlantic coastal areas The annual average wind power for exposed coastal areas of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina is estimated to be class 3 (Fig. 1). South of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, wind power decreases to class 2. There is a steep gradient in the estimated wind power within several kilometers of the coastline because of the abrupt change in surface roughness between the land and open water, even though relatively flat, smooth plains extend far inland along the entire length of the East Central region's coastline. While most of the coastline is oriented such that the prevailing wind direction (from the southwest across most of the region) is offshore, there is considerable variation in the orientation from one area to another. Winter and spring are the seasons of maximum power for the coastal areas of the region, with class 4 wind power from Cape Hatteras northward. In summer, wind power decreases to a minimum of class 1 and 2 along the coastal areas. Chesapeake and Delaware Bays Much of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays are estimated to have class 3 wind power. Areas of highest wind resource are expected where there is a large fetch over open water for the prevailing strong winds, which come from the west through north directions. The complexity of the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, with its many islands and inlets, suggests a high variability of wind power in this area.