Wind farms receive a lot of praise in the fight against climate change. Along with solar, they're often pitched as our last hope for energy independence. Ironically, not only do they "fight" climate change but they also create micro-climates.

Like giant egg mixers, off shore wind farms blend warm sea air with the cooler air above. Water in the air then condenses as droplets, making it visible. The result is a misty blanket of clouds hovering over the farm even when the nearby coastline is sunny and clear.

Of course, all it takes is a windy day to clear the cloud cover.

Studies has shown that large wind farms can even change weather patterns. Now, they have to be extremely large, as in stretching from Texas to Canada. But if such a scenario did exist the wind farm could lower wind speeds by 6 mph. Some even fear they would shift storm patterns.

However, researchers "acknowledged the hypothetical wind farm was far larger than anything humans are likely to build," but if Department of Energy projections for wind farming are met by 2030, "it could probably have an effect," says James McCaa of 3Tier, Inc., a renewable energy forecasting company based in Seattle.

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