  The main objection to Speirs, McGowan, Steinhoff and Bromwich [Int. J.
Climatol. 33: 945-958] work arises from the lack of analyses of the probability
distribution functions of underlying processes leading to wind formation of
which velocities are measured by automated weather stations and reported in the
paper. Mathematically a rigorous definition of calculating the correlation
coefficient (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient) of averages does
not exist. Therefore the authors numbers as given in Table II represent a set
of randomly calculated figures. The authors suggestion in relation to a few of
these random numbers that some of them have statistical significance at the 95%
level is erroneous since no relationship exists between correlation coefficient
of averages and statistical significance. Therefore Speirs et al. main
conclusion that the El Ni\~no Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern
Annular Mode significantly influence foehn wind frequency at McMurdo Dry
Valleys is entirely unfounded.
