FY 1979

A regional surface wind model for mountainous coastal areas

Overland, J.E., M.H. Hitchman, and Y.J. Han

NOAA Tech. Rep. ERL 407-PMEL 32, NTIS: PB80-146152, 34 pp (1979)

A mesoscale numerical model of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) was modified for application to mountainous regions along the northwestern coast of the contiguous United States and the southern coast of Alaska. The model treats the PBL as a one-layer primitive equation system solving for boundary layer height, potential temperature, and the two components of horizontal velocity. Input parameters are the large-scale geostrophic wind pattern and the stability of the air mass. Experiments with a cross-section version of the model were performed to assess its response to variable terrain, differential heating, and differential roughness at the coast for a domain containing both a flat coastal plain and low coastal mountains. The complete model was applied to three quite dissimilar meteorological situations for the Puget Sound/Strait of Juan de Fuca system in northwestern Washington state. The model is specifically useful in suggesting the relative roles of inertia and topography.