Local Winds

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to local winds, thermally driven winds, mountain lee waves, and associated weather patterns.

Local Winds

A variety of mesoscale circulations other than thunderstorms, classified broadly into thermally driven local winds and mountain lee waves.

Thermally Driven Local Winds

Winds caused by local differences in radiational heating and cooling, including land and sea breezes, valley breezes, and mountain breezes.

Sea Breeze

A thermally driven local wind that occurs when cooler air from the sea moves onto warmer land.

Land Breeze

A thermally driven local wind that begins after sunset when the cooler land draws air from the warmer sea.

Valley Breeze

A wind that occurs during the day as warm air rises from the valley floor up the slopes of surrounding mountains.

Mountain Breeze

A wind that occurs at night when cooler, denser air slides down from the mountain slopes into the valley.

Mountain Lee Waves

Waves formed when stable air flows across a mountain range and is vertically displaced, resulting in oscillation back to the original level.

Chinook Wind

A warm, dry gusty wind descending from the mountains, often associated with mountain lee waves.

Foehn Wind

Another name for a Chinook wind, it is a warm, dry wind that flows down the leeward side of mountains.

Wavelengths in Mountain Lee Waves

The distance between peaks in mountain lee waves, typically ranging from 5 to 30 nautical miles depending on wind speed and stability.

Stable Layer

A condition necessary for Chinook and Lee wave development, requiring a stable layer of air above the mountains.

Extratropical Cyclones

Weather systems that often contribute to the formation of strong mountaintop winds and stable layers, particularly in cooler months.