The Sundowner Winds Experiment (SWEX) Pilot Study: Understanding Downslope Windstorms in the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara, California
APRIL 2020 C A R V A L H O E T A L . 1519 The Sundowner Winds Experiment (SWEX) Pilot Study: Understanding Downslope Windstorms in the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara, California a,b b a,b a c LEILA CARVALHO, GERT-JAN DUINE, CHARLES JONES, KATELYN ZIGNER, CRAIG CLEMENTS, c c a a d HEATHER KANE, CHLOE GORE, GARRET BELL, BRANDI GAMELIN, DAVE GOMBERG, d d d d e e TODD HALL, MARK JACKSON, JOHN DUMAS, ERIC BOLDT, ROB HAZARD, AND WOODY ENOS a Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California b Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California c Department of Atmospheric Sciences, San José State University, San Jose, California d National Weather Service, Los Angeles and Oxnard, California e Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara, California (Manuscript received 19 June 2019, in final form 15 January 2020) ABSTRACT Sundowner winds are downslope gusty winds often observed on the southern slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains (SYM) in coastal Santa Barbara (SB), California. They typically peak near sunset and exhibit characteristics of downslope windstorms through the evening. They are SB’s most critical fire weather in all seasons and represent a major hazard for aviation. The Sundowner Winds Experiment Pilot Study was de- signed to evaluate vertical profiles of winds, temperature, humidity, and stability leeward of the SYM during a Sundowner event. This was accomplished by launching 3-hourly radiosondes during a significant Sundowner event on 28–29 April 2018. This study showed that winds in the lee of the SYM exhibit complex spatial and temporal patterns.
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