I cycled Abilene to Minot last July. One strong front came through with winds from the north, but otherwise a lot more winds from the S than the N on the great plains.
Flashback to my 2006 CANDISC supported tour in North Dakota. We had some serious winds out of the south. During one 18 mile stretch between rest stops I couldn't get above 12 mph going down hill in a tuck on my road bike. At mile 9 there was an intermediate fluid stop that consisted of a pickup truck staffed by a woman and her daughter. My companion and I stopped for water. I asked the woman how far until the next rest stop. She said 9 miles. I was shocked that we had only come 9 miles since the last stop and said "It feels like we have been riding for an hour." My companion looked at her watch and said "We have been riding for an hour." When the SAG bus pulled into the rest stop it was nearly full of bushed people. At least we made a left there and got a tailwind.