theweatherprediction.com
[--MAIN HOME--] [--ALL HABYHINTS--] [--FACEBOOK PAGE--]

DOWNSLOPING WIND

METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY

It is common to be able to pick up downsloping winds on the synoptic scale forecast models. A downsloping wind occurs as air traverses a mountain chain. For the best downslope effect, the wind direction will be nearly perpendicular to the mountain chain and the winds will be fairly strong. A strong downsloping wind will show negative vertical velocities on the 700 millibar forecast prog. A region where downsloping winds are common is over the lee of the mountain chains in New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. A west wind will result in a downsloping wind on the lee side of these mountain chains in these states. Since elevation decreases when moving east of these mountain chains in the high plains and Great Plains, the downsloping continues well east of the mountain chain (i.e. Chinook wind in the Dakotas). A downsloping wind promotes increasing temperatures, a lower relative humidity, and stability.