Surface Climate and SnowWeather Relationships of the Kuparuk Basin
19
Table 4. Monthly mean and record maximum wind speeds for each month.
BET
FRA
IMN
SAG
WKU
Wind
Wind
Wind
Wind
Wind
speed
speed
speed
speed
Day-
Day-
Day-
Day-
Day-
speed
1
(m s1)
(m s1)
(m s1)
(m s1)
(m s )
year
year
year
year
year
EC
Record
Sep.
16.4
28-95
18.5
26-96
14.2
25-98
12.5
27-95
13.4
26-94
max.
Monthly
5.4
4.5
3.6
4.0
3.8
mean
Record
Oct.
22.4
24-98
26.4
24-98
16.8
29-96
16.0
30-96
15.5
29-96
max.
Monthly
4.6
4.0
3.3
3.3
3.2
mean
Record
Nov.
21.2
3-94
20.3
19-98
19.0
21-96
17.4
11-97
16.4
30-95
max.
Monthly
5.1
4.1
4.2
4.3
3.3
mean
DC
Record
Dec.
16.2
19-96
24.8
19-95
16.1
3-94
16.3
19-95
13.2
30-94
max.
Monthly
3.7
4.1
3.6
2.8
2.9
mean
Record
Jan.
17.3
13-97
22.4
13-97
16.5
17-94
15.8
29-96
16.8
24-95
max.
Monthly
5.0
5.0
3.9
3.2
3.2
mean
Record
Feb.
18.6
13-95
19.1
3-98
20.4
16-95
19.6
18-96
16.6
13-95
max.
Monthly
5.0
4.7
4.2
3.2
3.0
mean
than 1.0 m s1 in this data set tended to be rather variable in direction and did not
contribute in a meaningful way to the direction statistics.) The 4.5-m s1 criterion,
which we refer to as moderate winds, was chosen because it represents a median
value for an accepted velocity that can readily mobilize fresh or unconsolidated
snow in this area (Liston and Sturm 1998). The 10.0-m s1 threshold, which we
refer to as strong winds, was chosen as a representative velocity capable of
remobilizing older snow that is already somewhat consolidated or drifted. In
addition to the five sites comprising the network, data from 19941997 for the
Prudhoe Bay Airport (PRU) were also analyzed as a basis to compare the net-
work data with a well-known coastal location. BET is about 25 km (15 miles)
Previous Page
